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Bible Gleanings, devotions, Other

Content with Christ | Bible Gleanings – August 5-6, 2023

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He sat down to a sad supper that was far from scrumptious, but he wasn’t sad in his soul. The Puritan man nestled in his chair for dinner, with only bread and water on the table. And because the man was always pleased with God’s provision, he bowed his head and gave thanks: “All this, and Jesus, too?” What the man possessed in Jesus was greater than what he lacked in life. And he was content with Christ even if Christ was all he ever had. 

King David felt this way, too. That is why he declared in the opening of Psalm 23, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want” (v. 1). He was content with God alone. He did not need anything else because just knowing God as His shepherd was better than whatever he didn’t have. Once, a little girl was called upon in a Sunday school class to read Psalm 23:1, and she effectively proclaimed David’s intent, saying,  “The Lord is my shepherd—that’s all I want.”

This is the kind of cheerful contentment and sanctified satisfaction that should settle in the soul of every saint. The Scripture commands it: “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you”” (Heb. 13:5). In other words, be content because you have Jesus, and because you will always have Jesus. Be content like the prophet Habakkuk, who declared that he was happy with losing everything as long as God remained:

“Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail  and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places” (Hab. 3:17-19a).

Are you content with Christ alone? Would you be satisfied with only Jesus if you had no food in your belly, clothes on your back, or a roof above your head? Would you be content with God if you lost all your money and earthly possessions tomorrow? If you had no friends, family, or anyone else to rely upon, would you be content with just the presence of the Shepherd? Can you say with Paul: “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Phil. 3:11-13)?

Bible Gleanings is a widely-read weekend devotional column, written for the Murray Ledger & Times in Calloway County, Kentucky.

Brandon is the founder and main contributor to Brandon’s Desk, the blog with biblical resources from his ministry. He pastored the family of believers at Locust Grove Baptist Church in Murray, Kentucky for six years. He and his wife Dakota live there with their three dogs, Susie (Jack Russell), Aries (English Shepherd), and Dot (Bluetick Beagle).

For more devotional entries like this, check out Brandon’s latest book, Bible Gleanings Volume II, which features 100 daily devotionals gleaned from God’s word:

Bible Gleanings, devotions, Other

Without Love | Bible Gleanings – July 29-30, 2023

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The drums were drastically deafening. I felt like I was caught in a cloud, with thunder crashing around me. The band’s percussion was so earsplitting that even the vocalist was entirely drowned out. I was at a Christian contemporary concert with my former youth group, but it felt like I was at the foot of Mount Sinai when the thunder cracked and clapped across the sky (Exodus 19:16). The saddest part is that the vocalist was trying his hardest to sing a song with a significant spiritual message, but it was a futile attempt because all the audience could hear were snares, toms, and cymbals.

And this is precisely what occurs when we attempt to preach the gospel or discuss spiritual matters without love. That is why Paul remarked, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Cor. 13:1). Without love, our words sound like gaudy gongs and crashing cymbals. Even if what we are saying is good, godly, and gospel-saturated, lack of love will always speak louder and drown it out. People simply cannot hear what we are saying when there is no love, affection, or compassion present.

It’s no wonder, then, that the Scripture emphasizes that everything must be done in and through love (1 Cor. 16:14). And this is especially true of the words we speak. Our words must be baptized in love and flow from an abundant spring of love within our hearts.  Thus, we are commanded to lovingly warn those who walk in error, as opposed to being harsh with them (1 Tim. 1:3-5). We are likewise admonished to always speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15).

Love opens the door to be heard. As the old idiom goes, “People don’t care about how much you know until they know how much you care.” And unlike an unpleasant cacophony, speaking with love is a sweet song that is pleasant to the ears of the hearer. It is a revitalizing refrain that refreshes the weary soul. Hal H. Hopson, a modern hymn-writer, certainly grasped this when he wrote Though I May Speak with Bravest Fire, which opens like this:

“Though I may speak with bravest fire,

and have the gift of all inspire,

and have not love, my words are vain,

as sounding brass, and hopeless gain.”

Bible Gleanings is a widely-read weekend devotional column, written for the Murray Ledger & Times in Calloway County, Kentucky.

Brandon is the founder and main contributor to Brandon’s Desk, the blog with biblical resources from his ministry. He pastored the family of believers at Locust Grove Baptist Church in Murray, Kentucky for six years. He and his wife Dakota live there with their three dogs, Susie (Jack Russell), Aries (English Shepherd), and Dot (Bluetick Beagle).

For more devotional entries like this, check out Brandon’s latest book, Bible Gleanings Volume II, which features 100 daily devotionals gleaned from God’s word:

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Spiritual Ripples | Bible Gleanings – July 22-23, 2023

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The smooth stone skirted across the still lake, spoiling the serene sheet of water on the surface. Ripples formed where the rock entered, spreading all the way to the shore. The water was unaffected, undisturbed, and unmoved until the pebble was thrown in. And the moment the stone struck the water, it sprung to life instantly, and the ripples were proof. This is a scene I often see as I skip rocks across streams, ponds, and lakes when I am outdoors hiking or backpacking. 

This is also the scene of the lives of all saints who have received salvation from the Savior. The Scripture teaches that putting your faith in Christ is like putting a pebble into a pond—when you do, you’ll inevitably have “ripples” in your life. When God throws the rock of saving faith into your heart, transformation immediately occurs, and the ripple effects of the gospel’s power are visibly seen. Deadness, stillness, and silence become a thing of the past (Eph. 2:1; Acts 4:20). However, if there are no spiritual ripples in your life, then the stone of saving faith was never thrown in. 

James teaches this in the pillar text of his epistle: “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:14-17). 

James’ point is sharp and sure: possession of faith is always confirmed by the expression of good works and life change. The ripples of heart-sanctification, life-transformation, and good-works-manifestation inexorably result from the stone of faith being thrown onto the heart by God. Moreover, the Bible instructs us to ensure that such spiritual ripples are present in our lives. Jesus and John the baptizer both taught that healthy trees will bear fruit (Matt. 3:8-10; 7:17-20). And Peter similarly commanded, “Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities [virtues and spiritual fruit] you will never fall” (2 Peter 1:10). 

Dear reader, do you have ripples in your heart and life? Has the stone of saving faith created dramatic changes in the affections of your heart and the direction of your life? If so, then you may sing the words of Since Jesus Came Into My Heart with full assurance: 

“What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought

Since Jesus came into my heart!

I have light in my soul for which long I have sought,

Since Jesus came into my heart!”

— Rufus H. McDaniel (1850-1940)

Bible Gleanings is a widely-read weekend devotional column, written for the Murray Ledger & Times in Calloway County, Kentucky.

Brandon is the founder and main contributor to Brandon’s Desk, the blog with biblical resources from his ministry. He pastored the family of believers at Locust Grove Baptist Church in Murray, Kentucky for six years. He and his wife Dakota live there with their three dogs, Susie (Jack Russell), Aries (English Shepherd), and Dot (Bluetick Beagle).

For more devotional entries like this, check out Brandon’s latest book, Bible Gleanings Volume II, which features 100 daily devotionals gleaned from God’s word:

Bible Gleanings, devotions

The Priority of Prayer | Bible Gleanings – July 15-16, 2023

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It makes burdens heavier. It makes temptations insurmountable. It makes tribulations unbearable. It makes obedience impossible. What is it? Prayerlessness.

Without prayer, believers are without peace, power, patience, and potential. This is because God has ordained prayer as the instrument through which His children can obtain all of these blessings. Prayer is the conduit through which the believer receives the “peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Phil. 4:6-7). Prayer is the channel through which the Christian obtains temptation-overcoming power (Matt. 26:41). Prayer is the vehicle that God uses to grant patience and perseverance to His people in times of pain (James 1:4-8). And prayer is the pipeline that gives God’s children the Spirit-enabled desire and ability to obey His commands (Gal. 5:16; Eph. 6:18).

If we do not remain on our knees in the posture of prayer, we forfeit all of those blessings, just like Peter did. The reason he denied Christ three times was because of prayerlessness. While Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, He admonished Peter twice to pray so that he would not fall into temptation (Luke 22:39-46). Satan wanted to sift him like wheat, and Peter needed to pray for perseverance to withstand his attacks (Luke 22:31-34). But, there is no such prayer recorded in the Gospels. Instead, what is recorded is his serious sin of denying Christ thrice (Luke 22:54-62).

Peter evidently realized that persistent prayer is a priority since he wrote about it three times in his First Epistle (1 Peter 3:7, 12; 4:7). The prophet Samuel understood the seriousness of prayerlessness, too. That’s why he declared to the Israelites, “Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you” (1 Samuel 12:23a, KJV). Additionally, prayerlessness is not only a sin, it is also a death sentence for any believer. That is why the reformer Martin Luther once observed, “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.”

Therefore, believers must “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). Christians should pray at all times in the Spirit (Eph. 6:18). God’s children should constantly cry out to the Father who knows their needs (Matt. 6:5-13). All those redeemed by Christ ought to confidently and continuously approach the throne of grace by kneeling in prayer before the Lord (Heb. 4:16). In spite of its age, the classic hymn What a Friend We Have in Jesus still rings true: 

“What a friend we have in Jesus,

all our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

everything to God in prayer!

O what peace we often forfeit,

O what needless pain we bear,

all because we do not carry

everything to God in prayer!” (Joseph Medlicott Scriven, 1819—1886)

Bible Gleanings is a widely-read weekend devotional column, written for the Murray Ledger & Times in Calloway County, Kentucky.

Brandon is the founder and main contributor to Brandon’s Desk, the blog with biblical resources from his ministry. He pastored the family of believers at Locust Grove Baptist Church in Murray, Kentucky for six years. He and his wife Dakota live there with their three dogs, Susie (Jack Russell), Aries (English Shepherd), and Dot (Bluetick Beagle).

For more devotional entries like this, check out Brandon’s latest book, Bible Gleanings Volume II, which features 100 daily devotionals gleaned from God’s word:

Bible Gleanings, devotions

Little Sins | Bible Gleanings – July 8-9, 2023

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New York City has recently installed sophisticated traffic cameras equipped with sound detectors capable of measuring excessive decibels rumbling from motorcycle exhausts and souped-up sports cars. According to the Associated Press, more than seventy drivers have already been ticketed for such “excessive noise.” Now, hit the brakes for a moment: doesn’t it seem like something so insignificant would fly under the radar? After all, it’s only noise, and reckless or drunk driving are certainly more serious crimes. Excessive noise may seem like a “little sin,” but it is illegal in the eyes of NYC law, and there are now both watching eyes and listening ears everywhere to catch lawbreakers.

There are also transgressions of God’s law that we may deem as “little sins” that God overlooks, ignores, or excuses. We tend to think that sins such as white lies, stretching the truth, and gluttony fly under God’s radar. But, according to the Scripture, even “little” sins are big to God, and all of them deserve eternal death (Ezek. 18:4; Rom. 6:23). We typically see sin like we would see skyscrapers from ground level—some of them tower in the clouds, while others are fairly small by contrast. But God sees sin as satellites see skyscrapers from space: they all seem to be the same size. And thus, all wickedness is worthy of woeful wrath from God’s vantage point (Isa. 13:11).

Moreover, His eyes are always watching and His ears are always listening. And He doesn’t need traffic cameras to observe us at all times—He can see what man is doing even with His eyes closed: “The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD’s throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man” (Psalm 11:4). We cannot escape His penetrating sight or His constant omnipresence—He sees everything and He is everywhere (Rev. 19:12; Ezek. 1:19-21). That’s why the writer of Hebrews said, “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Heb. 4:13).

Furthermore, God rigorously records every sin in His perfect ledger of divine justice, from the smallest white lie to the most heinous homicide. And when His record books are opened on the day of judgment, the guilty will answer for them—even for the “little” sins (Rev. 20:12). As Charles H. Spurgeon preached,

“An eternity of woe is prepared for what men call “little sins.” It is not alone the murderer, the drunkard, the whoremonger, that shall be sent to hell. The wicked, it is true, shall be sent there, but the “little sinner” with all the nations that forget God shall have his portion there also. Tremble, therefore, on account of little sins.”

And there is only one way to have your record cleared and to be forgiven of your “big” or “little” sins: through salvation in Jesus Christ. Only He can erase and eradicate your record of sin debt, and He does so when you turn to Him in repentance and faith (Col. 2:14). “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19). 

Bible Gleanings is a widely-read weekend devotional column, written for the Murray Ledger & Times in Calloway County, Kentucky.

Brandon is the founder and main contributor to Brandon’s Desk, the blog with biblical resources from his ministry. He pastored the family of believers at Locust Grove Baptist Church in Murray, Kentucky for six years. He and his wife Dakota live there with their three dogs, Susie (Jack Russell), Aries (English Shepherd), and Dot (Bluetick Beagle).

For more devotional entries like this, check out Brandon’s latest book, Bible Gleanings Volume II, which features 100 daily devotionals gleaned from God’s word:

Bible Gleanings, devotions

A Quittin’ Meeting | Bible Gleanings – July 1-2, 2023

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During the old days of tent revivals and camp meetings, a certain preacher held revivals which he called “Quittin’ Meetings,” where people would come forward to openly repent of their sin, committing to quit various vices once and for all. Those in attendance readily renounced their evils and resolved to repudiate the ravaging sins in their lives. “I’m quittin’ smokin’ and a-drinkin’ right here and now,” one proclaimed. “I’m quittin’ swearin’ and gossip-tellin’ and I mean it!” exclaimed another. And one particular woman came forward at the end of the service, and when asked what she was quitting, she replied, “I ain’t been doing anything, and I am gonna quit that too!”

And that is what happens when you are truly converted by Jesus. When you come to Christ, you have a “quittin’ meeting” where you repent of your old sinful ways, and you have a “startin’ meeting,” where you start to live a new life of obedience. You kick your sins to the curb, and take up your cross to follow Jesus (Luke 9:23). You renounce the wicked works of darkness to live a life marked by good works (Rom. 13:12; James 2:14-26). You shed the filthy garments of your former ways and dress in the new attire of virtuous Christian living (Col. 3:5-14). The “old you” is buried in the grave of repentance, and you become a new person, enabled by Christ’s resurrection-power to walk in “newness of life” (Romans 6:4). 

Paul described it like this:

“So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God” (Rom. 6:11-13, NLT).

And this quittin’ and startin’ meeting is not something we do once at our conversion. It must be a continual practice. That is why the Scripture says, “Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, [and be] renewed in the spirit of your minds, [and] put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:22-24). Have you had a “quittin’ meeting” with Jesus? And, if you have, what is He calling you to quit and start?

Bible Gleanings is a widely-read weekend devotional column, written for the Murray Ledger & Times in Calloway County, Kentucky.

Brandon is the founder and main contributor to Brandon’s Desk, the blog with biblical resources from his ministry. He pastored the family of believers at Locust Grove Baptist Church in Murray, Kentucky for six years. He and his wife Dakota live there with their three dogs, Susie (Jack Russell), Aries (English Shepherd), and Dot (Bluetick Beagle).

For more devotional entries like this, check out Brandon’s latest book, Bible Gleanings Volume II, which features 100 daily devotionals gleaned from God’s word:

Bible Gleanings, devotions

Soul Strength | Bible Gleanings – June 24-25, 2023

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The soul needs strength. The inner self is a battery that must be constantly recharged. The spirit within you is a lamp that requires electricity. The soul is an engine that only operates when it is fully fueled. The Bible calls this “strength,” and it is needed in ample supply to perform several crucial tasks: 

(1) You need strength to stand your ground against the devil. Paul commanded, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:10-11). As a Christian, you are engaged daily in hand-to-hand combat with Satan and the powers of darkness. And defeat is sure for any believer who tries to deflect Satan’s fiery arrows with the shield of their own strength (cf. Jer. 17:5-9). Therefore, strengthen yourself in the might of the Almighty.

(2) You need strength to fulfill your mission. Joshua of old faced an impossible task: conquering the land of Canaan with an undersized army of Israelites. Because of this, the Lord repeatedly urged him to be strong: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). Of course, plundering the land of Canaan is not the Christian’s task today; instead, the mission we have been given is plundering the house of Satan with the gospel sword to liberate captives (Matt. 12:28-29; cf. 28:16-20). And this great task of making disciples requires the strength of the only God who can save sinners.

(3) You need strength to bear the weight of adversity. The gargantuan weights of trials and tribulations will crush you if you are not resting on the right arm of God’s strength. The burdens they impose are too heavy for your shoulders to bear—so cast them on the Lord’s shoulders (Psalm 55:22). Seek strength in your suffering from the One who suffered the unbearable on your behalf. Paul realized that the Lord’s strength is sufficient, and that is why he confessed, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

How does the Lord strengthen you for these things? First, the Lord strengthens you through prayer, filling your heart with strength as you fill heaven with your fervent petitions (cf. Psalm 105:4; Eph. 3:16-17). Second, He strengthens you by His word, providing the nourishment your soul needs to be strong (cf. Psalm 119:103; 1 Peter 2:1; Heb. 5:12). Third, He strengthens you through ongoing fellowship with and encouragement from His people, just as Jonathan fortified David’s grip on the Lord (1 Sam. 23:16). “Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!” (1 Chron. 16:11).

Bible Gleanings is a widely-read weekend devotional column, written for the Murray Ledger & Times in Calloway County, Kentucky.

Brandon is the founder and main contributor to Brandon’s Desk, the blog with biblical resources from his ministry. He pastored the family of believers at Locust Grove Baptist Church in Murray, Kentucky for six years. He and his wife Dakota live there with their three dogs, Susie (Jack Russell), Aries (English Shepherd), and Dot (Bluetick Beagle).

For more devotional entries like this, check out Brandon’s latest book, Bible Gleanings Volume II, which features 100 daily devotionals gleaned from God’s word:

Bible Gleanings, devotions

Almost Home | Bible Gleanings – June 17-18, 2023

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On lengthy road trips, I often groan and grumble about the rigors of long travel, and my wife will always reassure me, saying, “Just a little while longer—we are almost home.” And it never fails to cheer me up, no matter how far away we are from home. Because of that reminder, I keep my foot on the gas, my eyes on the road, and the guiding map on my GPS. And all the way, I am encouraged in my heart because I know the road won’t go on forever. Indeed, home will be just around the corner.

All who are redeemed by faith in Christ are headed home, too. We are destined for our Father’s heavenly house. As Jesus assured, “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? (John 14:2). The Bible even says that we are headed for a place not built with human hands: “For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens” (2 Cor. 5:1). In fact, one day we will “be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8). 

But right now, we aren’t at home. We are sojourners traveling up the rough and rocky road of our Christian pilgrimage—and it is not easy. We often grow tired and exhausted on the road of righteousness (Gal. 6:9). We sometimes have to wait when we wish we were moving forward, much like being stuck in traffic (Psalm 27:14). But we need only to remember the biblical truth that we are almost home.

We cannot be certain of how close we are, of course. But we can be certain that we are closer to our heavenly home-going with every passing hour. Every evening sunset brings us closer to the day when the Son will shine brightly upon us (Malachi 4:2 Rev. 22:5). Every night of sleep brings us closer to the day when we shall rest from our labors (Rev. 14:13). We may be years or only seconds away from entering our eternal home, but no matter what, we are almost there.

And thus, we need to keep our eyes on the highway of holiness and our heads held high in faith, allowing the guiding map of holy Scripture to direct us to our heavenly home. And all the while, we may sing the words of William Hunter’s hymn, I Feel Like Traveling On:

“My heav’nly home is bright and fair,

I feel like traveling on.

Nor pain, nor death can enter there,

I feel like traveling on.

Yes, I feel like traveling on,

I feel like traveling on;

My heav’nly home is bright and fair,

I feel like traveling on.”

Bible Gleanings is a widely-read weekend devotional column, written for the Murray Ledger & Times in Calloway County, Kentucky.

Brandon is the founder and main contributor to Brandon’s Desk, the blog with biblical resources from his ministry. He pastored the family of believers at Locust Grove Baptist Church in Murray, Kentucky for six years. He and his wife Dakota live there with their three dogs, Susie (Jack Russell), Aries (English Shepherd), and Dot (Bluetick Beagle).

For more devotional entries like this, check out Brandon’s latest book, Bible Gleanings Volume II, which features 100 daily devotionals gleaned from God’s word:

Bible Gleanings, devotions

Refuge in the Lord | Bible Gleanings – June 10-11, 2023

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The youth was haplessly meandering around for something to do when he met a group of unpleasant adolescents kicking stones near the border of the province. When they caught sight of him, they began calling him names and taunting, “Who are you, foreigner? Scram, you dull-headed minikin, before we make you!” The youngster had done nothing more than wander too far, but the unfriendly youths decided to teach him a lesson. They beat him with sticks, bruised him with stones, and battered him with scraps that lay nearby. The boy then ran away, crying loudly, “I am going to tell my father!” 

“What is he going to do?” said the unruly gang, as they cackled and chuckled. “He must have been a real fopdoodle to run all the way home to his father!” Moments later, the gang of troublemakers heard the thumping of approaching hooves and looked up to see a towering figure riding toward them. When he halted before them, they were intimidated by his golden sash, purple robe, and crown of jewels. He bellowed angrily, “Now, which one of you has been messing with my son?” The gang then quickly abandoned their rocks, fled for their life, and never bothered the youth again because they had made a mockery of the king’s son.

It’s not such a bad thing to flee from a fight when you are under the protection of a king! David understood this when he wrote: “In the Lord put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain?”” (Psalm 11:1, KJV). David’s enemies mocked him because he trusted in the Lord and fled to His comforting presence, as a bird flies to a mountain for refuge. But that’s hardly a taunt—a mountain is the safest sanctuary for a little bird! Indeed, the Lord is a mountainous shelter for all of His people who seek salvation, security, and sanctuary.

Thus, you can find refuge from angry attackers in the arms of the Almighty (Psalm 91:1). You will obtain solace from stressful suffering in the God who is a shelter from storms (Psalm 57:1). When you run for refuge to the Lion of the tribe of Judah, you will receive protection from the roaring lion, the devil, (Rev. 5:5; 1 Peter 5:8; James 4:7). If you are a child of the King by faith in Christ, the best place to run from troubles and the troublesome is to your Father (Psalm 149:2). Therefore, dear saint, take refuge in the Lord and resound the words of Psalm 18:2, which says, “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Bible Gleanings is a widely-read weekend devotional column, written for the Murray Ledger & Times in Calloway County, Kentucky.

Brandon is the founder and main contributor to Brandon’s Desk, the blog with biblical resources from his ministry. He pastored the family of believers at Locust Grove Baptist Church in Murray, Kentucky for six years. He and his wife Dakota live there with their three dogs, Susie (Jack Russell), Aries (English Shepherd), and Dot (Bluetick Beagle).

Bible Gleanings, devotions

The Poor Rich and the Rich Poor | Bible Gleanings | June 3-4, 2023

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The two men decided to settle in a swampy suburb in the smooth sod which skirted a stunning sierra. And the soil in their section of the state was often saturated because of the streams of rain which ran down the sides of the nearby mountains. But neither man could think of an eligible excuse to emigrate, so they nestled in. One of the men toiled for years building a mansion at the base of the mountain, while the other fellow kept to himself in a shabby shack. And the seemingly wealthy mansion-builder often scoffed with disdain at the man who was apparently poor; he lived in a rotting cottage, while the rich man would soon be living in a palace-like home with every convenience and luxury one could ever dream of.

And one dismal day, a devastating downpour deluged them both, demolishing both the mansion and the cottage. After the storm subsided, the rich man was humbled by the instant robbery of his wealth and mansion, and murmured to the poor man, “It’s too bad for both of us, eh? We are both homeless now.” The poor man then cried out, “Not so! For while you have been building a mansion in this cursed place, I spent all my money hiring builders to prepare me a mansion in a yonder country where the weather is always fair.” And the “poor” man bid him farewell, leaving the “rich” man in the heap of his own ruins. 

This story is far more than a fable—it is a fact. According to the Scripture, a storm of judgment is coming that will sweep away all earthly riches, exposing once and for all who is truly rich and truly poor. The Bible says, “For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits” (James 1:11). In light of this, the truly rich person is one who is “rich toward God” (Luke 12:21). Rich indeed is he who lays up treasure in heaven, and who is wealthy in wisdom, faith, love, hope, and faithfulness (Luke 12:21; Matt. 6:19-21).

On the other hand, the truly poor person spends all of their lives living in luxury, not caring at all about the “immeasurable riches” of God’s grace (Eph. 2:7). Poor indeed is he whose wallet is full, but whose soul is empty of salvation! Thus, you may be rich in this life and poor before God if you spend all of your wealth in this cursed place. However, you may be poor in this life but rich before God if you have faith in Christ and live faithfully, sending all of your “wealth” ahead to heaven’s better country (Heb. 11:16). Sometimes, the rich are poor and the poor are rich. Which are you?

Bible Gleanings is a widely-read weekend devotional column, written for the Murray Ledger & Times in Calloway County, Kentucky.

Brandon is the founder and main contributor to Brandon’s Desk, the blog with biblical resources from his ministry. He pastored the family of believers at Locust Grove Baptist Church in Murray, Kentucky for six years. He and his wife Dakota live there with their three dogs, Susie (Jack Russell), Aries (English Shepherd), and Dot (Bluetick Beagle).

For more devotional entries like this, check out Brandon’s latest book, Bible Gleanings Volume II, which features 100 daily devotionals gleaned from God’s word: