Unshakable Love: Sourdough Bread and the Assurance of Christ

Unshakable Love: Sourdough Bread and the Assurance of Christ

"What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ... For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future... nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
(Romans 8:31, 38-39 NIV.

Today, as I am playing with my sourdough starter, that alive, breathing thing that grows out of flour and water. It demands my attention, regularity, and time. The starter starts to bubble slightly but gets stronger day by day as I used to feed it. Once mixed into the dough, the starter’s invisible life transforms simple ingredients into a rich, complex loaf that nourishes my family.

Sourdough, I believe is a beautiful picture of God’s love at work in me. Like the starter’s unseen activity, God’s love is constantly at work—never ceasing, never failing, always alive. And I see it day in and day out. It sustains me through trials, fears, uncertainties, and change. Even when I feel weak or distant, His love is steady, constant, and sure. In fact, over the last four years, HE has sustained me and my family by providing for us even in my dry times.

Paul’s words in Romans 8 remind me that nothing - not my failures, not my fears, not even the fiercest storms — can separate me from His love. His love is woven into every fibre of my life, like yeast working through the dough, slowly expanding, strengthening, and preparing me for the heat of life’s oven.

When the loaf finally emerges from the oven, golden and fragrant, I see the faithfulness of the process. God’s unshakable love has brought me through the waiting, the kneading, and the heat. And as my family breaks the fresh bread, I’m reminded that His love is not only for me, but for all who gather at His table.

Prayer:
Father, thank You for Your unshakable love. No trial, no fear, no failure can separate me from You. As I bake today, remind me of Your constant presence, like the living starter in my dough—always active, always faithful, always nearby. Teach me to rest in the assurance that You are for me, and nothing can stand against me. Amen.

Reflection Poem:
Through heat and trial, Your love remains,
Unmoved by loss, untouched by chains.
In every loaf, I taste and see,
Your steadfast grace, alive in me.