Topic:  THE SECRET TO STAYING FRESH – By Dr. Jeff Schreve  – From His Heart 21 March    2023 

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THE SECRET TO STAYING FRESH

“And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will bust the skins, and the wine is lost, and the skins as well; but one puts new wine in fresh wineskins.” Mark 2:22

A few months ago, I ran across an article about American-born Walter Bruening. Walter died in April of 2011. While he did nothing particularly noteworthy in his life, he was famous for one key thing: his lifespan. Bruening lived in good health until the very ripe old age of 114 ½ years. Wow! He held the unique title of World’s Oldest Living Man from July 18, 2009 to April 14, 2011. He has the longest recorded lifespan of any American in history.

When asked about the secret to his longevity, Bruening said, among other things, “I am always embracing change.” I like that answer.

EMBRACING CHANGE

Have you come to realize the fact that the world is ever-changing? Unless you and I embrace change, we will become an old wineskin, brittle and unfit for new wine. But, if we will adopt the Walter Bruening philosophy and embrace change, we can be used of God, season after season.

In the Book of Psalms we read, “The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, he will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They will still yield fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap and very green” (Ps. 92:12, 14).

If you want to stay full of sap and very green, even as the years go by, keep your heart soft, tender, and pliable in the Lord’s hands. When unexpected and unwanted changes come into your life, don’t allow yourself to get resentful and bitter and stubbornly “kick against the goads.” Trust that God has a plan and really does “work all things together for good to those who love Him.”

God is a God of newness and freshness. He wants us to stay fresh in our walk with Him. “Sing to the Lord a new song” is a command repeated over and over in Scripture. So when a new song is sung in church, don’t fold you arms in protest, longing for a familiar hymn from your childhood. Embrace the change, and “sing to the Lord a new song.”

Remember, our message is anchored to the Word of God. That message never changes, just as God’s character and nature never change. But our methods must be changing with the changing times so that we can be effective in communicating the gospel in the context and culture of the day. May God help you and me to stay fresh and embrace change so we can be the people He wants us to be, until He comes again.

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