Thursday, August 18, 2016

JUST A LITTLE LEAVEN

In 1 Corinthians 5:8, we read: “Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump.”

“Cing? I’m going to make biscuits. Want to help?”

The scraping of a kitchen chair let Grandmother know that Cing was on her way. “I’m coming, wait for me.” She saw the doughbowl, along with the ingredients lined up on the counter.

Grandmother measured the ingredients, handed them to Cing who dumped them into the bowl.

“Grandmother, why do these biscuits get big when we put them in the oven?”

“See this cup?” Cing nodded. “It’s yeast with a little sugar and water added or an old name for it is leaven.”

“It’s bubbling.”

“Yes, that’s how it works. We mix it into our bread mixture, then the yeast eats the sugar, multiplies, gives off it’s byproducts of carbon dioxide and alcohol. As the bread cooks, the heat kills the yeast, leaving tiny holes in the bread while the alcohol evaporates.”

Cing looked at Grandmother. “All the biscuits get infected with that stuff? I don’t understand but I like your yummy biscuits.” Grandmother smiled.

I am instructed in the Bible to purge out the old leaven. So many times in my life I am unaware of the leaven I have allowed. Half-truths, bad attitudes, selfishness, anxiety, not loving my God and my neighbor. Instead of despairing, I must turn to the Lord, my Creator, who will fill me with His Holy Spirit and wash away the leaven--the infection of sin.

Kingdom Thinking. The Lord Jesus has promised never to leave nor forsake me. He loves me with an everlasting love. He offers the same to you. He will remove the leaven from your life and restore you to wholeness. Won’t you come?