Luke 5:39 – “And no one, after drinking old wine, wishes for new; for he says, ‘The old is good enough.’”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, I was drawn to the thought of being SATISFIED!  There are two types of satisfaction. That is especially true when it comes to spiritual matters.   Our text speaks to this truth!

Think about that.  The purposes of God require continual growth in grace and understanding of the things of God.  It requires being stretched and expanded so we can mature in Christ.  It requires stepping out onto unfamiliar ground and into uncharted waters, totally dependent on the Holy Spirit. It requires new wine and new wineskins.  It requires pruning, correction, and dying to self.  It does not feel safe because it does not allow routine and the status quo.

However, many believers are satisfied with the old wine and the continuation of the old.  It is safe!  Satisfied with the status quo.  Satisfied to have the routine, the familiar, and live in the confidence of what they know and are accustomed to having.

If we are going to see The Kingdom Come, and The Will Done, status quo is a NO!   If we are to have active faith in operation, we have to allow the Holy Spirit to shake us and shape us.  New Wine in New Wineskins!

Luke 5:17-20 is the account of the paralytic brought by 4 men and let down through the roof to Jesus.  In verse 20, Jesus SAW their faith!  Saw It?  What did He see?  He saw what they did.  He saw their persistence.  He saw their expectations.  He saw New Wineskins presented to house the New Wine of healing.  Status Quo was a resounding NO for them. Healing was the goal, and nothing would hinder them. They said NO to Status Quo. How about us?

LORD, help us to say no to status quo!

Matthew 12:34 – “But you who are known as the Pharisees are rotten to the core like venomous snakes.  How can your words be good if you are rotten within?  For what has been stored up in your hearts will be heard in the overflow of your words!”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, one word echoed in my mind – Overflow.   That began yesterday.  Today, as I read about David at a time, his men considered stoning him, and he encouraged himself in the LORD. (1 Samuel 30:6)

Then I read in Mark 16:15-18, Jesus’ Commission, Promise, and bequeathal of Power. This assignment was monumental and mountainous.   As I read, the Spirit reminded me of the word “Overflow.”  In Matthew 12:34 and Luke 6:45, Jesus said that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

• Abundance (perisseuma) = abundance, surplus, overflow.
• Heart (kardia) = heart, but not the physical organ.  Rather, the seat of thought or being.

Our words justify and condemn us. Our words are a reflection of who and what we are. Our words are thoughts brought to life and light.   The question is, what is overflowing in our hearts? What is the surplus in our hearts?

To fulfill our assignment, we must become saturated with Jesus and His Spirit.  Out of that surplus (the uncontainable deposit in us), we speak and act.  It’s time to examine the overflow!  Are we fulfilling our assignment?  If not, could it be that we are not saturated to the point that we overflow? What is most important in life?  That’s what we are filled with!

Lord, help us to seek You above everything! Help us to become crammed full of You and Your Spirit. Help us to overflow with You! We overflow with something; let it be You!

May the Overflow of our hearts reflect Jesus!

Mark 11:22-26 – “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. ²³ “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. ²⁴ Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. ²⁵ And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, the thought of “Supply” captured my heart.  We focus on need, and Jesus focused on supply.   We focus on lack, and Jesus focused on abundance.   We focus on the temporal, but Jesus focused on the eternal.    Do you see a problem? Wrong thinking leads to wrong believing, and wrong believing leads to wrong living.

Jesus warned of the doctrines of the Pharisees and the government.  The disciples made it totally natural. Jesus’ reminder of the feeding of the multitude twice conveyed the message – God is the Supply!  If He did this with natural bread, what might He do with the spiritual?

In Mark 11, we have the Fruitless Fig Tree.  Leaves indicate fruit.  Leaves are what can be seen. Jesus’ response to appearance but no fruit was to reject it completely.

He used the incident as a teaching tool.  He explained miraculous faith.  Not hope but faith.  Faith has vision and expectation.  Faith sees it done!  Today, that is woefully rare.  We try to believe rather than believing.

We miss the key to the supply.   That is found in verses 25-26. Forgiveness.  Not only does unforgiveness endanger our eternity, but it also limits our present. God will not honor unforgiveness. That would violate His nature.

Luke 6:38 is a powerful revelation of God! What we give is what we receive. What we sow is what we reap. In Mark 12:41-44, Jesus’ attention was captured by giving. No, this is not about money, but it can include money.

Two kinds of giving took place.   All was proportional.  

• The Widow gave out of her lack. 
• The rich gave from their surplus. 

(It is far easier to give when you don’t feel the pain.) 

• She gave all, they gave some. 
• She gave her life; they gave money.

Now, use Luke 6:38 here.   The proportions are important.  The essence of the gift and how it impacts the giver is important.  She gave her all, so the principle is, she will get God’s all in return.  Her lack turned into her supply. They gave a little of themselves, so a little of God will be their return.  This could be giving of anything!

• Supply is connected to what we give. 
• What we give is connected to what we believe. 
• What we believe is connected to our relationship with Him! 

(It flows out of our surrender!)

• Total surrender brings total supply.

May we always see God’s supply rather than our need!

Mark 4:24 – “Consider carefully what you hear, he continued, with the measure you use, it will be measured to you – and even more.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, the first thought that came to my mind was, “What an amazing God we serve, and what an amazing book we have in the Bible.”

• It has encouragement when we need it. 
• It has direction when we need it.
• It has corrections when we need it. 
• It has inspiration when we need it. 
• It has revelation when we need it. 
• Sometimes, we don’t even know we need what it provides.

That’s why we can read the same passage on 100 different days and get 100 different levels of understanding. It is a LIVING BOOK!  

In 1 Samuel 17, when David faced Goliath, some important truths were revealed. David (v 40) took what he had, what he knew, and what he had been trained to use rather than Saul’s armor.  That is a word for us. Remember God’s question to Moses?  What is in your hand?  We need to stop trying to be and do what others are and do, and use what we have for the task before us.

No person, in their right mind (natural thinking) would have faced a giant trained for war, with a stick, a slingshot, and a few rocks.  David didn’t either. What?  But it says… Read again what David actually said. 1 Samuel 17:45, “You (Goliath) come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, BUT I COME to you in the NAME of the LORD of hosts, the GOD of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted.”   What was David’s real weapon?  THE NAME OF THE LORD!  The other things are contact points, nothing more. The real power was THE NAME!

Jesus said in Mark 4:24 – “Take care WHAT you listen to…” Often, our problem is that we LISTEN to the wrong voices.  We listen to the hordes of hell, the perception of people, and the longings of our hearts.  We even call those a Word from God.  But if we LISTEN to the true voice of the Spirit of God, we find the courage and strength to stand or go with what we have rather than waiting on a dream. If nothing is impossible for God, then NOTHING is impossible!

What do you need today? The Book has the answer, encouragement, enlightenment, and inspiration. Read it as a personal letter from God to you!

LORD, help us to respond to Your Word as the Living Word of God!

Mark 2:8-12 – “Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? ⁹ Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? ¹⁰ But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, ¹¹ “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” ¹² He got up, took his mat, and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone, and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, I was drawn to reflect on a word used repeatedly in Mark 1 and 2.   The word “immediately” captured my attention.  How often do we hear a word and delay?  How often do we have an impression and delay?  What does our hesitation say to God, others, and ourselves?

Waiting on God is important, but upon hearing from God, there is no place for hesitation. The only hesitation allowed is when the word is “Wait.”  Our hesitation is often rooted in our doubt.  We are not convinced God said it. We are not convinced people will accept it.  We are not convinced we can do it.  We make everything external rather than trusting the Christ IN us and the Holy Spirit who anoints us.

A side note that is revelatory is that the veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom.  Access to the Holy of Holies was now open to everyone. Access to God’s inner sanctuary was now for whosoever will.  It came from the top to the bottom. The old was finished, and the new began.

If we grasp the reality that access to God is open to all, then when we hear, we are free to respond IMMEDIATELY!  Immediate obedience brings prolonged blessings! Immediate obedience opens the door to God’s presence, and in His presence, there is peace, power, and provision.

My word of the day is IMMEDIATELY! Not when my ship comes in, I will sail, but I will head for the sea NOW and know that ship or no ship, I will sail by the Spirit.  Remember when money became the issue and focus, Judas betrayed Jesus.

LORD, help us to be so committed to You that when You speak, we respond Immediately!