What's Getting a Rise Out of You?
In this powerful devotion exploring how unseen influences—like yeast in dough—can quietly reshape our faith, Dianna Hobbs shares an important message: Jesus warns us about spiritual 'yeast' that can lead us away from trusting God's provision.
In the quiet moments of writing this devotion, God whispered a truth that cut straight to my heart: "My people are drowning in anxiety, suffocating under the weight of worldly concerns."
His words revealed a deeper diagnosis of our spiritual condition—we've become a generation constantly agitated, perpetually stressed, our souls stirred up by everything except the One who promises perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). We're allowing every circumstance, every news cycle, every challenge to "get a rise out of us," letting external influences knead our spirits like restless dough, when what we truly need is to look up and find our help, our rest, our sustenance in Him.
Growing up, the aroma of my daddy's homemade yeast rolls could stop me in my tracks. Even now, as an adult, that heavenly scent wafts through my memories like a warm embrace. His delicious rolls only graced our table twice a year—Thanksgiving and Christmas—making each batch a treasured celebration, an edible delight during the holiday season.
As a child, bread was my comfort food, my go-to satisfaction. I'd craft butter sandwiches (yes, just butter) with the care of a five-star chef, stack peanut butter sandwiches like tiny towers, or sometimes just pull pieces straight from the Wonder Bread loaf, savoring each soft, pillowy bite. The edges and end pieces? Those were my specialty, my little secret indulgence that nobody else seemed to want.
But daddy's yeast rolls? They existed in a realm all their own.
I can still picture him in our kitchen, this Army veteran who typically ran our household with military discipline and stern authority, transformed by the simple act of breadmaking. His strong hands, usually firm and unbending, would work the dough with unexpected gentleness. It was one of my favorite sides of him—this careful craftsman who'd measure the flour with quiet dedication, add warm water until it was just right, and then reach for that little packet of yeast—the magical ingredient that transformed ordinary dough into something extraordinary.
I'd hover nearby, eyes wide with wonder as his secret formula came to life before me. The ceremonial covering of the dough with a clean kitchen towel was like watching a magician prepare for their greatest trick. Oh, how I wanted to peek under that towel every few minutes! But Daddy's gentle warning to 'let it be' taught me my first lesson in patience—some transformations need their space.
When the big reveal finally came, my amazement never failed. That tiny sprinkle of yeast had caused the entire batch of dough to rise and transform, like a small miracle right there in our kitchen.
A Little Yeast
Looking back now, I see the truth of Galatians 5:9 come to life: "A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough."
All it takes is a little bit.
Just like the yeast in my father's kitchen, some influences work in secret, slowly but surely changing everything they touch—transforming our lives, for better or worse.
Jesus understood this power of yeast perfectly, how the smallest influences could reshape everything. "Be careful," He warned His disciples in Mark 8:15, "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod."
This warning wasn't really about bread at all. It was about what we allow to get a rise out of us, what we permit to shape our faith and our very lives.
In today’s focus Scripture, we enter a scene where I imagine the sun dipping behind the Judean hills, where Jesus and His disciples found themselves crossing the Sea of Galilee. They had just left a tense encounter with the Pharisees who demanded a sign from Heaven to test Jesus (Mark 8:11-12). These religious elites prided themselves on their strict adherence to the law, but their hearts were far from God.
Their influence, like yeast in dough, quietly permeated the community, fostering a culture of rigid legalism and spiritual pride. Against this backdrop, Jesus’s warning to “watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod” (Mark 8:15) carried profound significance.
Herod, the ruler of Galilee, was infamous for his political scheming and moral corruption. His influence—the yeast of worldly power and compromise—posed a seductive threat. Caught between these two forces, the Pharisees and Herod, the disciples faced a timeless temptation: reducing faith to empty ritual or surrendering to the allure of societal acceptance.
Jesus understood that influence, whether good or bad, spreads like yeast—working quietly but powerfully, causing virtues or vices to rise within us, transforming our hearts and lives as surely as yeast transforms a batch of dough.
Jesus Exposed Something
Before delivering this crucial lesson on yeast, Jesus miraculously fed four thousand men—not counting the women and children—with just a few fish and seven loaves, leaving seven baskets of leftovers (Mark 8:6-9).
Before the miracle, however, the disciples were anxious about feeding such a large crowd in such a remote place, fixated on their lack. By supernaturally multiplying the provision—turning not enough into more than enough—Jesus revealed Himself as the Bread of Life, the One with the power to meet every need, both physical and spiritual.
In this profound moment, Jesus exposed something—the third type of yeast— the yeast of earthly preoccupation, which fixates on material needs while ignoring deeper spiritual realities. Two thousand years later, this yeast is still spreading among believers, fueling our anxiety over provision.
“The same Jesus who fed multitudes with a few fish and loaves stands ready to supernaturally increase provision for you—despite how things appear.”
Just as the disciples fixated on physical bread despite witnessing miraculous provision, we often obsess over daily concerns—our bank accounts, social status, career advancement. We scroll endlessly through news feeds that stoke our fears, allowing the yeast of anxiety about tomorrow to quietly infiltrate our hearts until our faith becomes flat and lifeless.
It creeps in through worried conversations about the economy, bitter political debates, and the relentless drive for more, more, more. Before we realize it, worldly concerns rise within us while our faith deflates. This is the tragic result of being transformed not by the Spirit of God but by the spirit of our age.
Do You Still Not Understand?
After reminding the disciples of the miraculous feedings—"When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls did you pick up?... When I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls did you pick up?" (Mark 8:19-20)—Jesus asked them pointedly, "Do you still not understand?" (Mark 8:21).
Like the disciples, we’ve witnessed God’s provision countless times, yet we still struggle to trust. We allow harmful influences to infiltrate our hearts, rising like yeast to deflate our faith.
Look all around you. Among believers, stress levels are rising. Anxiety and fear are rising, with believers more consumed by news cycles and political tensions than by faith and hope. Tribalism is rising, where believers are more loyal to their cultural or political tribe than to the teachings of Christ, prioritizing being "right" over being loving.
Cynicism and disillusionment are rising, with many believers losing optimism and becoming increasingly jaded about the church, faith, and God's ability to work in the world.
Therefore, God is asking us the question He asked His disciples in today's passage: "Do you still not understand?"
Do you still not understand that I am God, and I am able to do all things? Do you still not understand that your anxiety cannot change what I have already planned? Do you still not understand that worry cannot add a single hour to your life? (Matthew 6:27)
Do you still not understand that your tribal divisions break My heart? Do you still not understand that I am bigger than your cynicism, more powerful than your fears?
Do you still not understand?
Lift Your Eyes
God is saying stop being so preoccupied with the carnal things of this world, with the problems that loom large before you. Lift your eyes to the One who has control and power over all things.
He is the Way-maker. Provider. Miracle-worker. Your Source and Resource. He is more than enough. God is saying, “Look to Me. Have I not promised to take care of you?”
To help you look above you and not around you, I'm stirring Psalm 121:1-2 KJV as the sweetener in your cup of inspiration, which says, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth."
As you drink down the contents of your cup of inspiration today, let this truth settle deep within your spirit: the same Jesus who fed multitudes with a few fish and loaves stands ready to supernaturally increase provision for you—despite how things appear. He will make ways out of no way. Open doors you can't see. Favor you in remarkable ways. Do what no other power can do.
The only questions that remain are these: Will you trust Him? Will you lift your eyes to Him? Will you place your confidence in the One who is ready, willing, and more than able to be all you need and more?
Now let's pray.
God, thank You for being the faithful supplier of all my needs. Forgive me for times when I've trusted more in my own provision than in Your abundance, chosen cultural acceptance over Your truth, or allowed anxiety to override my trust in You. Please teach me to trust You as never before. Transform me by renewing my mind that I might rise as a sweet offering to You—and prove what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. In Jesus' name, Amen.
