Day 15 – The Exchange: 21 Days of Spiritual Swaps

I feel like God is speaking; telling you and I not to stay still today.

I believe He is saying: I have something for you to step into. Will you step into it?

Of course, there is a time to stay put. There will be seasons in your life that require you to press in and wait on God. But, right now, I can’t escape this sense that He is asking us to take a step of faith.

There is a song that I love called “New Wine” by Hillsong.

The lyrics read:

“Where there is new wine,

There is new power,

There is new freedom

And the kingdom is here.”

New Wine, Hillsong.

I woke up today with this sense that Jesus was giving you and I new wine. And with new wine comes new power, new freedom and the Kingdom of God.

I decided to look up “new wine” in the bible. Here is what I found. Jesus says:

Nor is new wine put into old wineskins [that have lost their elasticity]; otherwise the wineskins burst, and the [fermenting] wine spills and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, so both are preserved.

Matthew 9:17, AMP.

Due to a global pandemic, all of the groups I usually attend are currently on hold. So, when I started this 21-day study, I was feeling lonely and bored. I felt unmotivated. I felt stagnant.

Yet, by writing this daily journal, I have connected with God. As a result, I feel more alive and more of the person He has created me to be.

I love listening to what He’s saying and writing it out daily. It brings me joy to think of you reading this blog. I hope it brings you encouragement, in your own walk with Jesus.

But, today, I feel like God is telling me not to put this new blogging habit into an old wine-skin. In other words; He doesn’t simply want me to hide away in fear, like I usually do. He has something new for me. Maybe new audience members, maybe a new writing community or maybe a new skill to learn.

The point is: I can stay where I am, blogging to a few lovely people. Or I can add more lovely people to my readers, I can step into something new.

Sure, I am afraid of what that means. But sometimes you have to face fear and do whatever it is God’s calling you to do anyway.

I think He is saying the same to you.

You can try and put that fresh revelation into an old routine. You can try and live life exactly the same as before, knowing that incredible new thing. But it won’t work.

God is calling you into something new and you have to answer His question: will you step into it?

I want to be clear: that thing God’s calling you to is better than you could possibly imagine. Remember; with new wine comes new power and new freedom! New power and freedom are things to get excited about! You can raise a “hallelujah” and smile ear to ear, because this is going to be amazing!

You may feel like you don’t know enough to step out. You are not quite ready yet. Maybe you are saying: “Surely not now Lord… in a week, maybe.”

But, I want to finish with a rhetorical question that I read in the book of Acts this morning. Peter says:

“[…] who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?”

Acts 11: 17, NIV.

If God wants to do something, who are we to stand in His way?

If you try to keep that fresh revelation – that new wine – covered up in your old habits, you do so in vain. What God is doing will burst forth, like springs of powerful water.

So, whatever it is that God is prompting you to step out in…

Do it afraid.

Do it now.

Don’t hesitate.

He is with you.

Action Points:

• Face your fear and take one practical step of faith today. Whether it is hitting ‘publish’ on that blog post, ‘share’ on that website or hitting ‘send’ on that message. Step into the new wine God has for you.
• Write the question “will you step into it?” on a post-it and stick it to your mirror or door.