No Leaven
Just as a little yeast changes the whole dough, small seeds of self-reliance puff us up—until Christ frees us to live in sincerity and truth.
Devotional Credit: Immeasurably More: A Daily Devotion for April 26th
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Today’s devotional draws our attention to the Feast of Unleavened Bread, an observance deeply rooted in Israel’s history, but with a living message for us today. The feast, celebrated immediately after the Passover, involved meticulously removing all leaven—yeast—from the homes of God's people. Leaven symbolized something deeper: the tendency within humanity to puff itself up, to depend on self rather than humbly trust in God.
The reading highlights how leaven represents various attitudes: the hypocrisy of pretending to be something we're not, the rationalism that denies God's supernatural power, and the materialism that lives for comfort, status, and approval. Jesus warned repeatedly about these subtle dangers, for they can infiltrate and influence the heart just as yeast spreads through a lump of dough.
The heart of today's message is this: through the blood of the Lamb, God not only spares us from judgment but invites us to walk free of the self-sufficient, image-driven, worldly spirit that leaven represents. Freedom is not found in pretending we have no need, but in resting openly and joyfully in our complete sufficiency in Christ alone.
Personalized Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
You are My beloved, chosen and set apart by the blood of the Lamb, redeemed from empty ways of self-reliance. A little leaven leavens the whole lump, but you are now a new creation, unleavened in Christ, called to sincerity and truth.
Cast aside every weight and sin that clings so closely, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith. I have not given you a spirit of fear or pretense but of power and love and a sound mind. Walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For you have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires, and now it is no longer you who live but Christ who lives in you.
Put on the new self, created after My likeness in true righteousness and holiness. Let your love be genuine; abhor what is evil and cling to what is good. I delight in a heart that is humble and contrite, not one puffed up by self-sufficiency. You are free—free to live in the light of My grace, without masks or pretense, free to boast only in the cross of My Son, by which the world has been crucified to you, and you to the world.
(Scripture references: 1 Corinthians 5:6-8; Hebrews 12:1-2; 2 Timothy 1:7; Galatians 5:16, 24; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 4:24; Romans 12:9; Isaiah 66:2; Galatians 6:14)
Real-Life Analogy
Imagine you're at a family gathering, and someone offers to carry a heavy box for you. Even though your arms are clearly shaking, you snap, "I've got it!" You don't want anyone thinking you need assistance. But in reality, the load is too much, and minutes later, you strain a muscle trying to manage it alone.
This everyday resistance to receiving help mirrors how leaven works in our spiritual lives. We cling to self-sufficiency, puffing ourselves up rather than embracing the humble freedom of Christ carrying our burdens. The truth is, resting in God's sufficiency doesn't diminish us—it protects us and sets us free from unnecessary strain.
Prayer of Confidence
Father, I thank You that I have no need to pretend before You. You see me completely, and You have loved me fully in Christ. I rest in the life of Your Son within me, knowing I am free from the old drive to uphold an image or boast in my own sufficiency. You have made me new. You are my life, my strength, my righteousness, and my joy. I walk today in the freedom of Your grace, trusting that Your Spirit will express truth and authenticity through me as I rest in You.
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Caption suggestion: Just as a little yeast changes the whole dough, small seeds of self-reliance puff us up—until Christ frees us to live in sincerity and truth.