If you read yesterday’s blog you know that I wrote about putting new wine in old wine skins. If we do that we burst the old skins and lose the new wine. It just doesn’t work to put something new in the old. So, in spite of what I wrote yesterday as a lesson for me, I did it anyway.

Every other Saturday morning I meet with a group of 4 men who were having individual counseling sessions but I wanted them to meet together for accountability purposes and to know they aren’t alone in their common struggles. It has worked well. We started a new curriculum two weeks ago called Every Man a Warrior. A piece of the homework that now starts is memorizing scripture. After this group session I had a 2 hour program rehearsal for our Christmas choir production where I have to do some square dancing, singing memorized songs and memorize some speaking lines. All of these requirements of memorizing, public acting and dancing hit me squarely in my insecurities bringing out the old self fears. So, when I got home a little after lunchtime I just wanted to run and hide. Every temptation to self-gratify was hitting me.

This morning God brought me right back to yesterday’s devotional message. I allowed myself to fear what I need to do thinking I was going to do it as the old self I’ve been, completely forgetting I’m the new self He has made me to be. It was a needed lesson what took place yesterday. I can now see a huge difference and the reality is that “I can do all things in Christ who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). Instead of panicking, I can just rest and keep my eyes on the promises of Christ my King! I simply do this one day at a time.