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NEW RELEASE: Bible Gleanings – Volume III

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The significance and sufficiency of the Scriptures for the saint’s sanctification is something strongly stressed within its sacred pages. The Bible is the milk that Christians require for growth in grace, just as newborn babies need their mother’s milk for physical growth (1 Peter 2:2). The word of the Lord is the meat that makes the hungry believer stronger (Heb. 5:12). The Scripture is the revitalizing rain that hydrates the thirsty soul (Isa. 55:11). It acts like sandpaper, smoothing away errors in our thinking and living (2 Tim. 3:16-17), and like a hammer, it nails God-glorifying truth into our hearts (Jer. 23:29). It is no wonder, then, why Christ taught that the bread of Scripture for the heart is more essential than physical bread for the body (Matt. 4:4).

This is why believers need daily meals of God’s word to remain strong and continually sanctified. Healthy Christians are hungry Christians who feast every day on the generous banquet laid out in God’s word. Without the soul-nutrients in Scripture, we will limp and faint in the Christian life. But with the mind-renewing nourishment found in the Bible, we can run the race of godliness with endurance.

Unfortunately, in such a fast-paced world, getting the most out of Scripture is often hindered by hurried reading. Anyone can read several chapters of the Bible in one sitting without a single verse or truth deeply penetrating the soul. But just as food must be slowly digested before it can strengthen the body, the faith-food of Scripture likewise takes time to digest. It is better, therefore, to carry one truth from God’s word throughout the day than to rush through a hundred. The blessed believer of the first Psalm is not blessed because he merely reads the Bible—he is blessed because he “meditates” upon it from dawn until dusk (Psalm 1:2). Thus, I am persuaded that the most effective approach for extracting the most truth from Scripture is by focusing on one truth daily.

That is why I have written yet another title in this devotional series called Bible Gleanings. This one-hundred-day devotional is like the other two—written to help you digest one truth from Scripture daily. Each entry leads you to a fertile field of biblical grain, where you may glean until your basket is full. My prayer is that you may feast upon the rich pages of Scripture and “grow up into salvation” (1 Peter 2:2) as you read the pages of this book.

Purchase your copy of Bible Gleanings Volume III today:

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, devotions, sermons

Sin’s Defense Attorney | Bible Gleanings | October 10-11, 2026

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His head and heart were at war—an empath in his soul, a psychopath in his mind. Fyodor Dostoevsky’s fictional character Raskolnikov, in Crime and Punishment, feels compassion for the impoverished and exploited of society, but contemplates brutally murdering an old moneygrubbing woman he deems unworthy of life. He knows killing someone is wrong, but reasons that it is right because she was wrong. As a child, he witnessed a horse mercilessly beaten to death and wept at the malevolence of the act. Yet as an adult, he planned to swing an axe at another human being, lamenting that it had not been done already!

His conscience told him that homicide was heinous, but his heart excused it as a “necessary evil.” Raskolnikov is not so fictional after all. He represents the spiritual machinery operating within every fallen soul. Namely, the human heart often fabricates justifications for sins which the conscience knows are wrong. Sinners seldom sin because they do not know better—instead, the “desperately sick” heart rises as sin’s defense attorney (Jer. 17:9), arguing in favor of evil although the conscience knows that sin cannot be excused, defended, or rationalized.

Sinners and saints alike “suppress the truth” (Romans 1:18b), silencing the loud-and-clear voice of the God-given conscience when it tries to hinder what the heart sinfully desires. Like a defense counsel, the heart looks for loopholes and downplays the facts. Despite the Lord’s clear verdict against sin, supported by the corroborating witnesses of His word and the believer’s conscience, the heart will work overtime to find some “technicality” to make vices appear as virtuous. Like a smoke alarm sounding off at the smell of smoke, a Bible-informed conscience will ring when the fire of sin is threateningly close—and that is when the heart frantically waves a towel beneath it to shut it up. Within every sinner’s heart are false weights and measurements that make sin lighter than God says it is (Prov. 11:1; 20:10).

Caiaphas reasoned that it was better for Jesus to die than for all Israel to perish (John 11:47-50), and sinners often reason in a strangely similar manner: “I know gossip is sinful, but everyone needs to know what she did. I know I should forgive, but he hasn’t even apologized. I know I should speak the truth, but I don’t want to be offensive. I know I shouldn’t visit this website, but I can ask for forgiveness later.”

Whenever the conscience says, “I know,” the sinful heart will always come racing with a “but.” Do not allow your heart to speak louder than your Christ-cleansed conscience (Heb. 9:14; 10:22). God has rendered His righteous verdict against sin—do not let your heart appeal His ruling. Never reason yourself into doing what the Lord has already told you is wrong. The heart may manufacture a thousand arguments for sin, but obedience only needs one: God has spoken.

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, devotions

Better to Come Clean | Bible Gleanings | September 26-27, 2026

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He vanished beneath the covering of moonlit shadows. He frequently halted during his midnight flight, waiting until the wind whipped sand to conceal his footprints. Whenever the night breeze failed to conceal his sandal impressions, he swept the evidence away with a wispy branch. He laid low in ditches, hid within caves, and painstakingly obscured his trail to evade capture by trackers intent on bringing justice to his blood-stained hands. As John Steinbeck tells this fictional story in his novella, The Pearl, any reader can see what the murderer, Kino, cannot: evil deeds cannot be erased by erasing the evidence. 

Likewise, this is what the Author of Scripture wants believers to see in the non-fiction story of King David’s intricate cover-up of his abominable adultery with Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11. Upon discovering that she was pregnant with his ill-conceived child, David hid his dirty laundry rather than simply coming clean. He hastily summoned her husband, Uriah, anticipating that he would spend the night with his wife after many long days of war, leading everyone to believe that the child was his (vv. 6-8). When that scheme failed, David concocted another by getting Uriah drunk, expecting that he would stumble home intoxicated and lay with her (vv. 12-13). Unable to conceal his wickedness, David finally devised a hitman scheme to eliminate Uriah, disguising his death as a mere wartime causalty—and for extra protection, he married Bathsheba to fool the masses into believing that her pregnancy was not the result of his animalistic lust (vv. 14-27).

David covered his tracks, but he could not clear his conscience. The longer he kept skeletons in his closet, the more his bones ached from misery. He later admitted, “For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer” (Psalm 32:3-4). Once Nathan the prophet rebuked him (2 Samuel 12:1-15), David brought his sin into the light and confessed, “Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You may be justified in Your words and blameless in Your judgment” (Psalm 51:4).

Confession of sin is always better than covering it up. The Scripture promises, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). When a Christian sins, the most unwise and futile course is to hide it from the Lord whose eyes are everywhere (Prov. 15:3). The greatest solution for the guilty is to come clean in confession and cast oneself upon the arms of a merciful God who dwells with the contrite (Isaiah 57:15). There is no soul-healing in sin-hiding; as the Puritan Richard Sibbes succinctly said, “What we hide God will never cure.”

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Bible Questions, devotions

Crying for Milk | Bible Gleanings | September 19-20, 2026

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The chilling cry shatters the serene stillness of midnight. It disrespects the disarming dawn, too—as the sun rises higher, the unsettling shriek grows louder. The sharp-edged screech is unpredictable and may strike you anytime and anywhere. Even the sacred space of a sanctuary is not exempt—the hysterical wailing disrupts the preacher’s sermon and disturbs the congregation’s singing. The scream erupts from the lungs of my baby boy when he is hungry—and he makes certain that his voice is heard. 

Two seconds too late and his countenance becomes crimson. You cannot convince him to wait or distract him with toys. His appetite is insatiable, and he must be fed now. Of course, he sometimes whines from boredom and whimpers when he wants to be held, but he has never once sobbed over news headlines, the color of his onesie, or because his stuffed animals looked at him the wrong way. His serious tears are solely for milk because his highest priority is being fed.

He puts me to shame because I tend to cry over spilled milk: when foul weather ruins a hike, traffic makes me late for an appointment, or technology refuses to cooperate when I need it to work. But how frequently am I agitated by an irrepressible hunger for the milk of God’s word? What irritates me more: someone’s unkind words or how little I have heard from the word of truth (James 1:18)? And how often am I distracted by worldly amusements which diminish my desire for the law of the Lord, to where I forget how much I need it? A Bible that often rests unopened on my desk testifies against me. 

However, all believers—myself included—should “throw a fit” for the nourishment of the word of God. As Peter commanded, “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation” (1 Peter 2:2). Christians should ache with gnawing hunger morning, night, and throughout the hours between for the faith-food of Scripture. The Bible is not an optional appetizer or an occasional dessert—your spiritual life depends on it: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). Consequently, whether babes in Christ or seasoned saints, all children of God should crave the Scriptures, cry out for them, and drink deeply from its pages with a desperate urgency.  

I have watched my son skyrocket from an eight-pound newborn who couldn’t hold up his head to a four-month-old who can roll over, belly-laugh, and say “mama” (despite strong coaxing to say “dada” first). He can do what he’s never done because he eats like he’s never eaten. Likewise, to grow in Christlikeness like you never have and do for God what you’ve never done, you must eat the truth of Scripture like you never have before (Jer. 15:16; 2 Tim. 3:16; Ps. 119:11).

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, devotions

Don’t Fight Every Scorpion | Bible Gleanings | September 5-6, 2026

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The baby slept soundly in his swing while a scorpion stealthily skulked down the suspension cord above him. His father, Kino, stared like a snake ready to strike, carefully calculating how to kill the eight-legged intruder. But the predator didn’t give him time to play chess, and injected the infant with his toxic tail. The boy was engulfed in agony and Kino was consumed with anger, prompting him to seize the fiend, smash him into a paste within his hand, and hurl the scorpion’s remains into the dirt. The newborn’s mother frantically attempted to extract the venom with her lips, and they hurried him to the town physician in hopes of saving his life—a debacle that could have been averted entirely had Kino simply grabbed the baby instead of facing down a foe he was powerless to conquer. 

Kino, why didn’t you snatch your son from the scorpion? Why did you fight when you should have fled with the boy? That is what you will shout from the reader’s chair while reading John Steinbeck’s short novella, The Pearl. The book commences with the aforementioned fictional story of baby Coyotito being struck by a scorpion because Kino ran headlong into a fight he should have ran away from while cradling his son. Sometimes, the surest strategy for subduing certain foes is retreating rather than trying to prove how strong you are only to demonstrate that you aren’t. 

Likewise, the Author of Scripture repeatedly shouts to believers, “Don’t fight when you should flee.” The Lord certainly commands Christians to stand firm against Satan and valiantly fight the good fight (Eph. 6:11; 1 Tim. 6:12), but there are some spiritual skirmishes that believers need to run away from rather than run toward with guns a-blazing. Paul exhorted the Corinthians with desperate urgency in his voice, “Flee from sexual immorality” (1 Cor. 6:18), and later on, “Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry” (1 Cor. 10:14). When intense temptations for sexual sin and idol-worship come crawling down the rope, that is not the time to show off how spiritually mature you are—that is time to get out of Dodge and make a run for it. Retreat doesn’t mean defeat—sometimes the best strategy for survival is to run as far away and as fast as you can. 

Joseph of old employed this tactic when Potiphar’s spouse sought to seduce him. He didn’t negotiate with temptation or stick around to prove his competence—he ran for the hills (Gen. 39:12). Samson, on the other hand, lingered with Delilah foolishly thinking that he could conquer the allure of sin with his great might—and he lost (Judges 16:4-22). Don’t fight every spiritual scorpion that slithers your way—know when to run like your soul depends on it, because it does. “The prudent sees danger and hides himself,” wrote Solomon, “but the simple go on and suffer for it” (Prov. 22:3).

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, devotions

When the Way is Unclear | Bible Gleanings | August 29-30, 2026

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Only thirty miles from freedom, four runaway slaves stopped in their tracks beneath the starlit darkness. Behind them was a life of slavery, but before them was a frigid creek that appeared impassable—one they were instructed to wade through by the woman who promised to lead them to liberty. They had no lamps, no map, and no clear path ahead—just faith in Harriet Tubman and confidence that she knew the path to freedom. On the other side of the bitter stream was an abolitionist-friendly safehouse that would send them toward independence, but they didn’t know that. They didn’t know what Tubman knew, and they couldn’t see what she saw—so, not knowing the way to go, they trusted in the one who did.

And this is what the Scripture instructs believers to do when the way in life is unclear: “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Prov. 3:5-6, KJV). Life sometimes brings you to a creek you don’t want to cross—a tumultuous tribulation, a season of unanswered prayer, or a consequential decision that is nearly impossible to make. But remember, only the Lord sees what is on the other side. You do not know what He knows, nor can you see what He sees. Therefore, when you do not know the way to go, trust in the One who does. 

King Jehoshaphat once stood where the water looked deep. Advancing upon him were the mighty Moabites and the aggressive Ammonites, and he was severely outnumbered—or so he thought. With nowhere else to look, he looked up, and prayed, “O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you” (2 Chron. 20:12). This is what faith says in times of uncertainty: “I don’t know what to do, but I know where to look. I don’t know where to go, but I know who to follow. I don’t know how this will work out, but I know the God who works all things together for good.”

The guiding Shepherd is also the way-making Lord, and He will either lead you the right way or make a way when there isn’t one. When the Israelites fled from Egypt, they came to a standstill at the Red Sea with no way forward, and the Egyptians were hot on their heels. And although Moses did not know how they would escape, he trusted in God and said with bold faith, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD” (Ex. 14:13a). And the Creator parted the sea. The God who knows the way and makes the way is worthy of your trust when the way is unclear.

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, devotions

Finding Faithful Friends | Bible Gleanings | August 22-23, 2026

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Straight lines look crooked with enough pressure from a crowd. Psychologist Solomon Asch demonstrated this during a landmark experiment in the 1950s. He seated one unsuspecting test subject in a room with numerous actors, and displayed two cards to everyone—one featuring a solitary straight line, the other displaying three lines of obviously varying lengths with only one matching the line on the first card. The assignment was straightforward: match the lines. So easy, a monkey could do it blindfolded.

Shockingly, over 75% of participants got the answer wrong. How did they fudge such a simple task? Because the actors were instructed to lie and swear that the shorter lines matched the one on the first card although anyone with eyes could see that they absolutely didn’t. Many of the respondents initially matched the lines correctly, but changed their minds due to peer pressure. Dr. Solomon concluded that human beings will do what is wrong even though they know what is right—all it takes is enough influence from others.

Solomon the Preacher reached a similar conclusion from the experiment of life: spend enough time walking with someone and you will eventually start walking like them—for better or worse. “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise,” he wrote, “but a companion of fools shall be destroyed” (Prov. 13:20, KJV). Who you befriend influences what you believe and how you behave. Friendship is formative, which is why you must stick close with companions of character and commitment who draw you closer to Christ and avoid “friends” who lead you astray by making sin easier and obedience harder. You cannot live righteously while walking with the wicked, nor can you live righteously without walking with the righteous—so choose your friends carefully.

When you hang around a fire for a while, smoke will cling to your clothes—when you hang around people who are playing with fire by living disobediently, their sin will cling to your life (Prov. 22:24-25). But when you fellowship with believers who are “on fire” for the Lord with white-hot zeal for His glory, the flame of your own zeal will burn hotter. The best kind of friend is one who improves your sanctification and holiness, not one who hinders it: “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another” (Prov. 27:17). Faithful friends also tell you what you need to hear rather than what you want to hear: “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy” (Prov. 27:6; cf. 27:9-10). Christlike companions, furthermore, love you at your worst—not at your best (Prov. 10:12; 17:9, 17; 19:4, 6-7).

Still, even the best of earthly friends will fail and disappoint—there is only One who will never leave you nor forsake you—the Friend of sinners: “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother” (Prov. 18:24; cf. John 15:13-15; Rom. 5:8). Take an honest inventory right now of your closest friends—where are they taking you and how are they “making” you?

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, devotions

Our Guide Forever | Bible Gleanings | August 8-9, 2026

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We never saw him again. Even when we did, we barely caught a glimpse of him. But before we parted ways, he smiled and said, “And that concludes our tour of Marvel Cave, ladies and gentlemen.” Our tour guide was off to lead another party of curious cavers after escorting us through the winding passages, spears of stalactite, and dripping cavernous chambers within this historic cave which lies 500 feet beneath Silver Dollar City. His only job was to direct us through a cave—not back to our cars, hotels, or other attractions in Branson, Missouri. While our guide knew everything about caves, he wasn’t an expert in everything—he could only take us as far as his knowledge would take him. 

There is, however, a Guide whose knowledge is limitless—and therefore, whose guidance is limitless. “For this God is our God for ever and ever,” wrote the psalmist, “he will be our guide even unto death” (Psalm 48:14, KJV). The Lord leads His people through every season of life and His guidance does not end until He brings them to their heavenly home. The great Shepherd steers His saints through life and toward life everlasting: “Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me to glory” (Ps. 73:23-24).

He can straighten the most winding paths with His wisdom, brighten the darkest valleys by His illuminating light, and carry His people through the most tempestuous of life’s storms. No matter how heavy the burden, how confusing the decision, or how uncertain tomorrow may be, the God who knows the end from the beginning promises, “the LORD will guide you continually” (Isa. 58:11a). Even if you rode to the edge of the galaxy on the rays of the sun or descended to the floor of the ocean, the Lord would be there to lead the way: “If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me” (Ps. 139:9-10). And while every tour guide eventually says goodbye, the Lord says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Heb. 13:5). Moreover, He doesn’t merely tell believers where to go—He goes with them: “It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you” (Deut. 31:8a).

It is no wonder why generations of believers have prayed and found comfort in singing the words of He Leadeth Me by J. H. Gilmore (1834—1918), which says,

“He leadeth me: O blessed thought!

O words with heavenly comfort fraught!

Whate’er I do, where’er I be,

still ‘tis God’s hand that leadeth me.

He leadeth me, he leadeth me;

by his own hand he leadeth me:

his faithful follower I would be,

for by his hand he leadeth me.

Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom,

sometimes where Eden’s flowers bloom,

by waters calm, o’er troubled sea,

still ‘tis God’s hand that leadeth me.”

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, devotions

Little Providences | Bible Gleanings | July 25-26, 2026

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One might say it was an extraordinarily lucky shot when an archer randomly fired his bow into the air and somehow struck and severely injured the armor-covered King Ahab precisely where he was exposed (1 Kings 22:34). Some would conclude that the stars aligned when the midnight insomnia of King Ahasuerus could only be cured from reading an old book—one that just so happened to record the forgotten loyalty of Mordecai, compelling the king to honor him rather than hang him (Esther 6:1-11). Some would suppose that the widow Ruth carried around a rabbit’s foot and a four-leaf clover when she went to work in a field that serendipitously belonged to Boaz, her future husband and redeemer (Ruth 2:3). Some might believe it was a fluke of good fortune when the little boy with a sack lunch “coincidentally” stood near Jesus exactly when the multitudes needed to eat (John 6:9). Some may argue that fate smiled upon the apostle Paul, whose life was repeatedly spared simply because he was a Roman citizen (Acts 16:35-40; 22:22-29). 

But according to Scripture, nothing is random—everything is ruled by the Lord (Prov. 16:33). Nothing is a happy accident—everything is a divine appointment (Psalm 139:16). Nothing is a coincidence—everything is a providence. “[God] works all things,” wrote Paul, “according to the counsel of his will” (Eph. 1:11b). And small things are part of all things. 

They say that the biggest doors still swing on the smallest hinges and that every avalanche begins with a single snowflake. And the Bible teaches something even greater: the Lord often accomplishes His grandest purposes through the smallest details of everyday life. He doesn’t merely move mountains—He moves molecules. The God who governs the galaxies also intricately directs detours, delays, disappointments, and even daily decisions. As the Puritans used to say, the Lord’s greatest works are often His quietest works.

It is tempting to associate the Lord’s power with mighty miracles only, but miracles are frequently hiding in plain sight. Perhaps this is why Scripture says not to despise the day of “small things” (Zech. 4:10). He may use a minor inconvenience to completely redirect the course of your life or place you beside the right person at the right time to hear the right words to counsel or encourage you. He may use one sentence from one sermon to change your mind, one verse in Scripture to comfort your soul, one unexpected phone call that answers a prayer, or even one different route home to spare you from unforeseen harm. God tends to the little things like counting hairs (Matt. 10:30), ensuring that every star has a name (Ps. 147:4), feeding the sparrows (Matt. 6:26), giving the lions their prey (Ps. 104:21), and making the grass grow (Ps. 104:14). And He will never fail to superintend the little things in the lives of His people.

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, devotions

He Knows His Own | Bible Gleanings | July 4-5, 2026

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Her life was a lie. Twenty-eight years passed before she discovered the life-shattering truth. In a quest to uncover her family lineage, Raylane Amaral submitted her DNA to a trustworthy ancestry firm. The first result hit her like a freight train: the woman she called “mom” was not her biological mother at all. Then came another revelation which left her questioning everything—she had a brother she never knew about.

The New York Post reported that Raylane contacted her newly discovered brother, who claimed his sister was born the very same day. Surely, she was that baby and reuniting with her real mother was finally on the horizon. Not even close. Raylane and her newfound brother learned that his “sister” had also been mistakenly sent home with the wrong woman, meaning that there had not been one mix-up in the hospital, but two. At last, the web of confusion untwined when the women tracked down their real mothers, while the hospital became trapped in a web of its own when all the families joined together in a lawsuit.

Stories like these are rare nowadays because of safeguards in maternity wards, but it serves as a reminder that human beings with the best intentions sometimes mix up who is who. The postal service occasionally delivers your neighbor’s mail to you. Waitresses sometimes bring the wrong meal to your table. Airports erroneously assign your luggage to someone else. But this is something the Lord will never do, which is why the Scripture says, “But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are his’” (2 Tim. 2:19a).

The all-knowing Christ similarly promised, “I know my own and my own know me” (John 10:14b). Paul likewise guaranteed, “But if anyone loves God, he is known by God” (1 Cor. 8:3). The Lord knows every believer by name and has recorded their names with indissoluble ink in the Book of Life (Phil. 4:3; Rev. 3:5). He will never forget His children—the only thing He forgets are their sins (Heb. 8:12). This is why God tenderly swore, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands” (Isa. 49:15-16a). 

You are known by God if you know Christ and there is no possibility of any mix-up. The Lord never questions whether or not you are His. You can never slip from His memory or be accidentally mistaken for an unbeliever. The hymn-writer Norman J. Clayton (1903–1992) said it best:

“Jesus, my Lord will love me forever,

from Him no pow’r of evil can sever,

He gave His life to ransom my soul;

Now I belong to Him;

Now I belong to Jesus,

Jesus belongs to me,

not for the years of time alone,

but for eternity.”

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Resources from the Ministry of Pastor Brandon G. Bramlett