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Monday, August 1, 2016

Monday Morning Devo - Old, Threadbare Material


"No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” Matthew 9:16-17, NKJV

The cloth in the picture above is old, threadbare, and full of holes. It won't hold wine or much of anything. It reminds me of me before I allowed Jesus to come in and take over the mess I'd made of my life. If anyone was a total screwup, I was. How could even God fix the messes I'd created?

I don't know how He patches up the holes, stains, and old transparent materials, but He does. A lot of Christians call that being born again because that's exactly what it feels like--like being brand new with a free ticket to start over. We get to skip the guilt parties, reject the old temptations, slide out of the dark into the light of His constant love.

I didn't have to do anything to deserve it, unless you count asking Him to come in and sit on the throne in my heart. That's it. Not to say I always leave Him there--the old me tries to take over every twice in a while. I hope one day I'll quit that.

But the new life draws me so much more than the old life. I like this new cloth--it fits me so much better. No embarrassing holes and thin spots in the fabric. No leaking messes. Stains have been washed away. What a relief!

You can do it too. My prayer is that if you haven't already, you'll say "yes" to Him today. He's calling out to you with a golden, life-time, irrevocable invitation. He's waiting....

Father God, You know exactly what it will take to make a person into brand-new, strong, forever fabric. I pray for every person who reads this, that she or he will accept your invitation today and stop wasting her or his precious time and life. Tell them it's not hopeless, that You are the author of hope. Tell each one You know how to be the miracle they need, that this can be for them the day of a new beginning. For Jesus sake and honor, and in His precious Name, Amen.

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