Matthew 9:14-17
“One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, ‘Why don’t your disciples fast like we do and the Pharisees do?’ Jesus replied, ‘Do wedding guests mourn while celebrating with the groom? Of course not. But someday the groom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.
If you try to maintain something you are not prepared for, it will leave you with more pain than before: a bigger tear.
BBJ
And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.”
1. The Old Wineskins
Before you go into a fast, something must take place, whether that be a change in you to get closer to God, or this can be where the Holy Spirit leads you into a fast, and sometimes this can be both. When you enter a fast this is where transformation occurs. Fasting is the abstention of food, drinks, or anything that is taking up time that should be focused on God. A good example of this would be social media. I would struggle with scrolling on social media, and I would fast from social media for a few days and sometimes a week because I knew that social media began to become a hindrance in my walk with God. I have gotten a lot better about even getting on social media, it does not have the same effect or hold on me as it did before. Of course as a human sometimes it can be easy to slip back into those same habits, but when you get into the habit of fasting regularly as the Holy Spirit leads you to do, things that had a hold on you before don’t affect you anymore. The old wineskins can symbolize our old mentalities and our old ways of behavior. When you are in a state of an old wineskin, you are not in a state to receive new wine that God wants to pour into your life, but as you are transformed into a new creature daily, you are able to receive and preserve (or maintain) what God wants to pour into you.
2. The New Wineskins
We are not looking to be perfect. God knows exactly what we need. I remember a month or two ago, I was and still am trusting God in a certain area of my life where I really needed some answers, I was desperate for God to speak to me and minister to me. I was so determined to hear from God…Now, I am a person that loves food, God knows it. I am a foodie and it is very hard for me to not go without eating food, and I felt led to do the Esther fast.
{Now if you don’t know what the Esther fast is, in the book of Esther in chapter 3-4 it speaks about Haman plotting a wicked scheme to kill Mordecai and all the Jews because Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman. Mordecai told his cousin Esther (Hadassah) who became Queen, (after the old Queen was removed from her position because of her disobedience to the King), to approach the King on behalf of her people. During this time, no one was allowed to approach the King without being first summoned by the King, because that meant death, unless, the King extended his royal scepter to allow entrance. Before Esther approached the King, she had Mordecai and all the Jews (herself included) go on a dry fast for three days (no food or water).}
I was at a point in my walk with God where I needed answers. I wanted to hear from God, and I had a change of heart and told God that I was going to go on the Esther fast and with modifications I would drink water so I don’t completely pass out, and I told Him that I refuse to eat anything these three days and if I don’t hear directly from God I will extend the fast and will NOT eat anything… Ya’ll…I didn’t even last one day without eating. That morning when I woke up I was already starving and said “Wow this is a lot harder than I thought…” By 2:00 o’clock that same afternoon I was already cranky, I didn’t even drink my coffee and I so weak in my body, I eventually told God, “I can’t do this. I need you. Being cranky and rude to other people because I haven’t eaten is not bringing you glory” So I ate, and I kept doing the fast, I did not get on social media, did not get on YouTube, did not watch any TV or movies on my phone and I had to modify the fast, so what I did was during the time I did eat I would pray and spend time with God. I wanted to hear from God, and on day two I heard from Him. After I heard from God, He let me know to not continue the fast because He already gave me answers.
3. New Wine
My life was transformed from hearing God and I got closer to God during this fast. If I didn’t get anything else from this fast, but a closer relationship with God that is what truly matters. God looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7, “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Something I had to learn was how to give myself grace. Don’t beat yourself up because you’re human and you weren’t able to handle what you said or what you were going to do. We are not meant to do things alone. That is why we have a big God that we depend on. Our Shepherd and Rescuer. So, the next time you go on a fast and you accidentally break fast or you slip up, don’t beat yourself up about it. God sees your heart and He sees that you are sincerely trying to do better and be accountable. Instead of beating yourself up about it, repent and keep doing your fast. When you focus on all the wrongs that you have done, your focus is off of God (which is where our focus should be) and it does not bring Him glory. Just like Peter (in Matthew 14:22-33) when he was walking on the water with Jesus, as soon as he took his eyes off of Jesus that is when he began to sink. Matthew 14:30-31, “But when he saw the strong wind and waves, he was terrified and began to sink. ‘Save me Lord!’ he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. ‘You have so little faith,’ Jesus said. ‘Why did you doubt me?” What wind and wave is taking your eyes off of Jesus? Let’s shift our focus on where it should be: back on Jesus.
I hope this message encourages you. If you haven’t already make sure to go check out my first podcast upload (which is now uploaded to YouTube) here.