A New Tire for Christmas
21/12/08 00:12
During the
months of November through March I am using my
wheelbarrow practically everyday to haul firewood to
the house. As I started hauling this heating season,
I noticed that the tire on the wheelbarrow was a
little low on air. Low air in the tire makes it
difficult to push a loaded ‘barrow.
After a bit of procrastination, I filled the tire with air and set it under the patio for the next haul. When I went to use it the following day the tire was completely flat! After a thorough examination of where the leak may have been, I realized I had a dry-rotted tire on my hands. It was completely useless and a new one would have to be bought.
I’ve used that wheelbarrow for over twenty years and the tire finally gave up “the ghost.” Over the years I have had to put air in that old tire a number of times. Like I said, low air makes using the wheelbarrow difficult.
God spoke to my heart about the similarity of the low air in the tire and a Christian who fails to seek Him daily. The air in the tire is like the Spirit within the Christian; when he or she fails to get with God on a daily basis, they will begin to find out just how difficult living the Christian life can become. They try to “pump” themselves up, only to find out in a day or two that they have gone completely flat! Their Bible reading becomes a chore and their prayer life becomes almost nonexistent. Life is hard enough, with the hauling of all its burdens, and, without having the Spirit of God to carry you through. In fact, anyone trying to live this Christian walk without the Spirit is like pushing a wheelbarrow full of firewood with a flat tire –it just can’t be done.
Jesus said that He would not leave us as orphans, but the Spirit would come and lead us into all truth. The Spirit teaches us, bears witness for us (that we are the children of God), and helps us to overcome this life. Just as the apostle John has said, “Greater is He that is in you than he who is in the world.” I cannot live this life alone; I’ve tried and I’ve failed. My life was miserable and so were the lives I came close to. But when Jesus came into my heart and sent His Spirit to my soul, I became a new man, the old had gone and behold, all things became new!
David said, “Lord, create a new heart in me.” He didn’t say mend or repair the heart that he had, but to create a new heart. Jesus said that men do not put new wine in old wineskins, but that they put new wine in new wineskins. Our hearts, before we came to Christ were like that old dry-rotted tire –useless. Jesus didn’t come to try and mend our old hearts or help our old lifestyles; He came to give us a new life and a new heart.
God said that He would give us a heart of flesh for our old stony hearts. A complete change! Something totally new! I think that is the trouble with some new converts; they try to just have Jesus mend their old dry-rotted hearts and finding that they’re not holding any air! They trudge through days of burden and wonder why they never seem to experience the victory other Christians sing about.
No one can live the Christian life with a worldly heart –it just can’t be done! I went to the store and bought a new tire for the wheelbarrow, affixed it to the rim, filled it with plenty of air and now the thing seems to bounce to the woodpile. It seems so light and easier to push, even when it is loaded with wood. It makes hauling wood (carrying the burden) quite different. Jesus has truly been faithful to me when He said that He came to give me life, and that to the fullest.
He puts a spring in my step and lightens my burdens. I can cast all my cares upon Him, for I know that He cares for me. He is faithful, kind and patient, even when I procrastinate and try to live on “low air.” But it doesn’t take very long until I find myself falling for mercy at His feet crying out for a new heart and a steadfast spirit. This Christmas, do yourself a favor if you are living some old dry-rotted life; go to the Christ-child, go to the Savior, go to the Son of God and get a new heart that is filled with the Spirit. It is God’s gift to you!
After a bit of procrastination, I filled the tire with air and set it under the patio for the next haul. When I went to use it the following day the tire was completely flat! After a thorough examination of where the leak may have been, I realized I had a dry-rotted tire on my hands. It was completely useless and a new one would have to be bought.
I’ve used that wheelbarrow for over twenty years and the tire finally gave up “the ghost.” Over the years I have had to put air in that old tire a number of times. Like I said, low air makes using the wheelbarrow difficult.
God spoke to my heart about the similarity of the low air in the tire and a Christian who fails to seek Him daily. The air in the tire is like the Spirit within the Christian; when he or she fails to get with God on a daily basis, they will begin to find out just how difficult living the Christian life can become. They try to “pump” themselves up, only to find out in a day or two that they have gone completely flat! Their Bible reading becomes a chore and their prayer life becomes almost nonexistent. Life is hard enough, with the hauling of all its burdens, and, without having the Spirit of God to carry you through. In fact, anyone trying to live this Christian walk without the Spirit is like pushing a wheelbarrow full of firewood with a flat tire –it just can’t be done.
Jesus said that He would not leave us as orphans, but the Spirit would come and lead us into all truth. The Spirit teaches us, bears witness for us (that we are the children of God), and helps us to overcome this life. Just as the apostle John has said, “Greater is He that is in you than he who is in the world.” I cannot live this life alone; I’ve tried and I’ve failed. My life was miserable and so were the lives I came close to. But when Jesus came into my heart and sent His Spirit to my soul, I became a new man, the old had gone and behold, all things became new!
David said, “Lord, create a new heart in me.” He didn’t say mend or repair the heart that he had, but to create a new heart. Jesus said that men do not put new wine in old wineskins, but that they put new wine in new wineskins. Our hearts, before we came to Christ were like that old dry-rotted tire –useless. Jesus didn’t come to try and mend our old hearts or help our old lifestyles; He came to give us a new life and a new heart.
God said that He would give us a heart of flesh for our old stony hearts. A complete change! Something totally new! I think that is the trouble with some new converts; they try to just have Jesus mend their old dry-rotted hearts and finding that they’re not holding any air! They trudge through days of burden and wonder why they never seem to experience the victory other Christians sing about.
No one can live the Christian life with a worldly heart –it just can’t be done! I went to the store and bought a new tire for the wheelbarrow, affixed it to the rim, filled it with plenty of air and now the thing seems to bounce to the woodpile. It seems so light and easier to push, even when it is loaded with wood. It makes hauling wood (carrying the burden) quite different. Jesus has truly been faithful to me when He said that He came to give me life, and that to the fullest.
He puts a spring in my step and lightens my burdens. I can cast all my cares upon Him, for I know that He cares for me. He is faithful, kind and patient, even when I procrastinate and try to live on “low air.” But it doesn’t take very long until I find myself falling for mercy at His feet crying out for a new heart and a steadfast spirit. This Christmas, do yourself a favor if you are living some old dry-rotted life; go to the Christ-child, go to the Savior, go to the Son of God and get a new heart that is filled with the Spirit. It is God’s gift to you!
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