I wrote this as a devotion for a friend awhile back. I’m a big fan of positive thinking and when I read this verse, I was amazed at how it can be applied to our everyday life. God’s good, isn’t he? 
Love,
Calie
Luke 5:37
And no one pours new wine into old wine skins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out, and the wine skins will be ruined.
Centuries ago, people used goatskin to store wine instead of bottles. They’d take a whole goatskin dry it and cure it, and then shape it into little bottle-like containers to hold wine. When the wine was poured into the goatskin, they’d tie the top of the goatskin to seal the wine inside.
During Jesus’ time, these goatskins were known as wine skins.
An interesting thing about these wine skins is that when they were new, they were soft and pliable. However, as time passed, they would age and lose their elasticity. When this happened, the wine skins would harden and set until eventually, they could no longer expand.
Now, this wasn’t a bad thing, after all, everything ages- right? And aged wine skins had no effect on the wine that was already inside…however, what about new wine? In other words, what happened if someone were to pour brand new wine into an old, used wineskin? Let’s ask Jesus
If we look in Luke 5:37, Jesus gives us our answer.
He says,
“And no one pours new wine into old wine skins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out, and the wine skins will be ruined”.
Basically, new wine and old wine skins was a big “no-no”.
So, what is the point of this whole wineskin talk and what is the meaning behind it?
It’s HUGE. Are you ready? Drum Roll….
Jesus used the wineskin story as a parable to make a point. He wanted to encourage us not to settle by telling us to enlarge our visions.
The wine in the parable is actually symbolic of our lives. And the wine skins, symbolic of our attitudes.
When He said, “You can’t put new wine into old wine skins”, Jesus was saying that we cannot have a larger life with restricted attitudes.
In other words, we can’t expect to live a life full of purpose and essence if we have a crappy attitude or continue to be set in our ways and bound by our thinking.
God has incredible plans for each and every one of us. That’s why he gives us talents, gifts, and dreams.
He places certain dreams, certain desires in our heart, but we’ll never accomplish them unless we’re willing to wholeheartedly trust HIM, change our old way of thinking, and expand our vision.
Ephesians 4:22-24 says,
that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
God doesn’t want us to be old wine skins! He wants us to get rid of the old, and put on the new.
Until we begin to dream big and see the future through eyes of faith instead of eyes of doubt, then our wrong thinking will prevent God’s best for our lives. Just as you can’t pour new wine into new wine skins, God can’t pour new ideas, visions, and blessings into our old attitudes.
When we get rid of our old way of thinking and truly begin to trust and follow God, we will begin to experience His immeasurable favor and receive His blessings.
