Hello, Holy Spirit Devotional Week 33 – Hello, New
The Process of Preservation
Winemaking is not a hurry-up kind of thing. From the moment grapes are picked, every step has one goal: preservation. Fermentation changes them. Clarification removes what does not belong. Bottling seals them so nothing harmful can get in.
Preservation only works when the container is healthy. If the wineskin is brittle or the bottle is cracked, the pressure will destroy it, and what’s valuable will spill out.
This is where Jesus meets us. The “old wineskin” is the old you and your core belief systems. It is what you believe about yourself versus what God believes about you. What God wants for you vs what you want for yourself. And let’s be real, those beliefs are often shaped by our wants, needs, fears, and doubts and the ways we learned to survive.
Picture this. An orphaned teen wants nothing more than parents who love him, yet he cannot get close to adults because every adult he has known hurt him. His core belief becomes: “Adults are unsafe, so I must protect myself.” He waits for adoption, but anger and old memories keep him hostage.
Jesus says to that teen, and to you, “Before I pour myself into you, you have to let go of the old.” Not because He ignores your pain, but because He knows the old cannot preserve the new. If the old stays, the blessing will leak.
Hello New:
God’s preservation is a process. He patiently removes the sediment of fear, unforgiveness, and bitterness. He renews your mind with truth. He makes you an empty canvas so you can carry His Spirit without breaking. Without that renewal, the pressure of His promises and bigger picture will overwhelm you. We are meant to carry His Spirit, with it, you are preserved to walk in His purpose for you, and that includes today and his eternal big picture.
SONG
Kim Walker-Smith: Make Room – Official Live Recording – Revival Nights
PERSONAL REFLECTION
– What core beliefs in my life are rooted in survival instead of God’s truth?
– How have these beliefs kept me from receiving or holding onto His blessings?
– What would preservation look like for me if I truly let go of the old self?
TAKE ACTION
– Identify one old belief that is holding you back.
– Ask God for His truth to replace it.
– Write down how letting go of it opens space for His new wine to be preserved in you.
Responses