Linda J. Humes

“Neither do men put new wine into old bottles: else the bottles break, and the wine runneth out, and the bottles perish: but they put new wine into new bottles, and both are preserved.”  Matthew 9:17

—

The old wineskin,

that covers this frame,

has become stiff,

and tough,

and bitter.

—

The New Wine,

that once filled this frame,

has been tasted,

and rejected,

and spit upon the ground,

leaving an empty skin,

tainted with yesterday’s desires,

allowed to go stale.

—

Like an old wineskin,

in the skillful hands,

of the Master,

it is time to have the stiffness,

beaten down,

the bitterness boiled out,

and the callousness,

scrapped away.

—

Cleansed,

supple, resilient,

once again this frame,

will be prepared to carry within,

the New Wine,

daily fresh,

daily blessed.

—

This time, Lord,

let me not sniff at,

let me not swirl around,

let me not fretfully sip,

and let me not spit out,

the New Wine,

placed inside.

—

But, let me savor,

every drop,

no matter the flavor,

or what I wish it might be,

or what I wish it could have been.

—

Let me cherish,

the new wine,

I’ve been prepared,

to carry,

that I’ve been sent,

to pour out.

—

And once again,

when I’ve allowed the wine,

to grow bitter and taint.

—

Renew the wineskin,

that covers this frame,

making it better,

than the first day,

it was sent,

to be a vessel,

destined to hold the best wine,

the wine that is served,

at the throne of the King.

—

Written 4-20-99

Tags: Destiny, King, Master, New Wine, Throne, Vessel, Wineskin