Transcript of Midweek Meditations podcast episode aired on Wednesday, 29th July 2020.

I don’t know about you, but I sometimes wonder what real impact my life will make in this world. What different will my faith make, not only to my own life, but to the people around me? Does it make a difference? Can I make a difference?

Today, we meditate on one of Jesus’ parable:

He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

Matthew 13:33 (NIV)

I love making homemade pizzas. If it’s not pizza, I’ll turn it into some kind of treat myself and the kids. The secret to great pizza dough though is time. Time to allow the yeast in the dough to work it’s way through the dough.

For my pizza recipe, the amount of yeast makes up less than 2% of the ingredients, but the yeast is what makes the different between a dry, stale pizza base and a crispy, but airy pizza base. What’s the point here?

The kingdom of God doesn’t operate on the same principles of our world. It’s not about the biggest, smartest, strongest, wisest or any other measure of greatness. As Paul says to the Corinthians:

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

1 Corinthians 1:27 (NIV)

In God’s wisdom, he chooses you and I to display the glory of his gospel and kingdom. Despite how insignificant, weak, or even tired you might feel, the grace of God given and revealed to you in Jesus can change the world.

Now, yeast takes time to spread through dough. It’s not instantaneous. It needs to be fed and prepared to work into the dough. Likewise, our faith and the impact of faith takes time. We need to feed on the Word of God, we need to allow the Spirit to continue shaping us into the likeness of Jesus, and we need a healthy environment to do that.

Are you feeding on God’s Word regularly? Are you humbling yourself before the Holy Spirit allowing him to weed out the sin in your life? Are you keeping yourself accountable to other brothers and sisters-in-Christ?

If not, remember yeast can die and no longer be useful. Fan into flame the faith you received from the Lord Jesus. If so, let your faith works its way into your life and the people around you. It might take time for you to see the results, but know that God wants to work in you and through you to bring about his glory and kingdom.

Let’s pray.

Prayer

Awesome God, we stand before you amazed and, sometimes, confused by your mercy to us. Despite our sinful rebellion against you, you choose us to be your children. You choose the foolish and weak things of this world to display your glory.

Holy Spirit, help us to do just that. Help us to be vessels of the glory of God. Help us this day to be like yeast, working its way through every area of our lives so that we might bring God glory.

Yes, Lord Jesus, we seek to give you glory and praise. You gave up your life for us, bringing us back to the Father so that we might experience the wonder of your kingdom. Thank you for choosing us, thank you for your sacrifice for us, and thank you that you are with us until the very end of the age.

We pray this in your precious name, amen.