Praise is Like Good Wine
I don't normally use the Message version in these posts, but God spoke to me through this verse the other day, so I figured it would be a good idea to share it with others. When I heard this version of the verse read, the word that stood out to me was "expand." From there my mind went directly to Matthew and the message of wineskins.
Psalm 34:1 - "I bless God every chance I get; my lungs expand with his praise." (MSG)
Matthew 9:17 - "Neither do people pour new wine into old wine-skins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wine-skins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wine-skins, and both are preserved."
When I thought about "my lungs expanding with his praise" I realized that just like wine-skins, the purpose is not to leave the praise in your lungs but to let it out. You store wine in wine-skins so you can take it out and drink it. The more research I did about wine-skins the more impressed I was at how detailed of a process it was.
While praising our Heavenly Father is not a complicated process, I believe it is extremely important to come to Him with an expectation of Him moving.
If you prepare yourself in advance of worship and come in with an expectation, the results will be that much greater. I see so many people who come in and do the same thing in worship, or just sit there and listen, or don't feel like its important, so they show up late and only want to come for "the message" at church.If you always use the same wine-skin or don't prepare it correctly, one of two things will happen.
- The wine-skin will burst, and ruin the wine-skin
- The wine will not taste good when it is poured out
If you don't come in with an expectation or prepare yourself to worship our God, there is a great probability that you will leave unfulfilled. You may even leave worse than how you came in. And it hurts yourself and the praise that God deserves.
Related Post: Singing is Not Worship
The purpose of praise is just like wine in a wine-skin, its meant for outward consumption. And if treated with the respect it deserves, they will both be sweet!Give it a shot next time you begin to praise our God. Prepare yourself and come with an attitude of expectation and taste and see the difference!