"Out With The Old..."

"Out With The Old..."

"Get rid of the old yeast! Then you will be like fresh
bread made without yeast, and that is what you are."
I Corinthians 5:7 CEV

The preparations for the cold of winter, for a Siberian Husky like Diefenbaker, are in full swing with shedding taking place at a rate that only the owner of a Husky could fully appreciate. It's not individual hairs here and there; Dief is losing clumps of hair found in the garage, in the backyard, throughout the house and along the route of his daily walks as shedding season, much like fall colors, is at its' peak.

For a dog that loves lying in the snow on a below zero day, this process of shedding and a strong new coat coming in is essential to the breed's survival. The loss of the old makes way for the new, or as the more coming saying puts it, "out with the old and in with the new". It's a lesson on making room for the new that is important for anyone looking for the Lord to do something new in their life. It's a lesson that will be oft repeated in the lives of those who are not satisfied with the status quo and who have fixed their eyes on nothing less than, as Paul says "the high calling of God in Christ Jesus".

Diefenbaker's new winter coat will not come in until last year's thick coat is gone, helped along by occasional raking (the word "brushing" just doesn't do the process justice). And it is a principle that will apply in our lives as well. Whenever God is about to do something new and fresh, there will first be a prompting by the Holy Spirit for us to, as Paul told the Corinthians, "get rid of the old". "The old" can be anything from entrenched attitudes that have no place in a believers' life to long established habits and routines that rob us of our time and focus. And the key is that they stand in the way of what God wants to do; occupying a place in our lives that should be free for God to pour into.

Out with the old and in with the new; it is in the resisting of this process that we often rob ourselves of the blessings and breakthroughs intended by God for our lives. If you need a visual, stop over and see Diefenbaker. If not, you're on your way to something new, fresh, and incredibly rewarding in your life.

God Bless
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church