Prayers and Devotions for Passover Night Three
We are in the midst of the Feast of Unleavened Bread that follows Passover night. For seven days, Jewish people are to eat nothing containing leaven (such as yeast and baking soda). The day before the Feast, Jewish tradition calls for a search through the entire house to remove all leaven. Every cupboard, drawer, nook, and cranny is examined, and some families have even used a feather to clean out every last crumb.
In the New Covenant, leaven is used as a metaphor for sin. “Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough?” the apostle Paul asks (1 Corinthians 5:6).
It is wonderful to know that God loves us unconditionally and that He generously forgives our failures. When it comes to sin, as Believers in Messiah, we are no longer condemned, but we are called to grow and become more like Yeshua day by day. As we do, we bring Him glory and are used to draw people to Him. Sin gets in the way of that, and it also hinders the fullness of the life in us that Yeshua died to give us.
Hebrews 12:1 urges us to “lay aside every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles us” (NASB). Recognizing one’s sin is an ongoing process in the Believer’s life. There are sins we aren’t even aware of yet! In Psalm 139, David cried out “Search me, O God, and know my heart. Examine me and know my anxious thoughts, and see if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:3-4 TLV).
It’s not pleasant to see our own sin, weaknesses, and shortcomings. But, as a Believer, you can count on the fact that God’s love for you does not change when He searches your heart and shines His light on remaining leaven. Your standing with Him is still that of a precious son or daughter. Let this week of the Feast of Unleavened Bread motivate you to let God search your heart and reveal to you any “hurtful way” (NASB) that He would like to show you. When you do, you can be on your way to stepping out of its entrapments and into greater freedom.
Father, I know You love me. Give me the courage to see my own sin. Search me, O God, and show me any hurtful, offensive ways that You want to remove from my life. Clean me, O God, so that I can be free to love You and reflect You more.
