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Bible Gleanings, devotions

Rooted in Christ | Bible Gleanings | March 14-15, 2026

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We smelled something sour, but stumbled upon something stunning. While backpacking with one of my brother-in-laws near the Cache River State Natural Area in southern Illinois, we were suddenly enveloped by a foul odor that stopped us in our tracks. But unlike most common-sense hikers, we followed our noses—all the way to the most enormous tree we had ever seen: the historic, state-champion cherrybark oak tree. An information placard beside it explained that the tree was more than three-hundred years old, stretching one-hundred feet skyward, and over eight feet in diameter. And once I breathed the clean air of Kentucky again, I surfed the internet for answers about its gargantuan growth—and its unwelcome smell. 

The tree’s malodorous musk remains a mystery, but its massive growth is no secret: this giant oak grows deep before it grows tall. It grips the earth and gathers all the life-giving nutrients it needs through its roots. Despite countless tornadoes, ice storms, floods, and environmental changes, it has grown heavenward and held its ground all because it is anchored underground. Never underestimate the strength of deep roots!

Deep roots in Christ are also the key to weathering every storm of life and growing heavenward in spiritual maturity. This is why the apostle Paul commanded believers to be “rooted and built up in Him” (Col. 2:7a). If you yearn to grow tall into an “oak tree” Christian and bear God-glorifying fruit in your life, you must be connected to Jesus—drawing spiritual sustenance from Him just as roots draw nourishment from the soil. As Isaiah the prophet said, “take root downward, and bear fruit upward” (Isa. 37:31b). Jesus used a similar image when He assured, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:5, KJV).

Roots also prevent a tree from being uprooted during wind and storms, and vehement tribulations and violent temptations won’t be able to knock you down when you are rooted in Jesus. Tornadoes of life-trouble and hurricanes of temptation may tear off some bark and branches—they may leave their mark on you—but you will remain standing when you are rooted in Christ. As Jeremiah the prophet illustrated,

“But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit” (Jer. 17:7-8, NLT).

The strength of your Christian life depends on what lies beneath the surface. Are you burying your roots in Christ through prayer, time spent in His word, worshipping with His people, and walking in obedience to Him?

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, 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 Heaven Quakes | Bible Gleanings | February 14-15, 2026

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A traumatic earthquake in San Francisco deeply devastated the little boy, although he was oblivious to it. But he showed subtle signs of how shaken he was on the school’s swingset. The lad’s teachers observed that he would run for the swings during recess, and sway back and forth until it was time for school to resume. And when a teacher finally asked him why he bypassed the slides and merry-go-round to swing alone, he sadly answered, “On the swing, I move like the earth. So, if there’s another earthquake, I won’t feel it.” 

Without realizing it, he diagnosed the knee-jerk reaction we often have when we endure troubles in our lives. When we go through a life-shaking storm—an earthquake-level tribulation that rattles our world—we tend to brace ourselves for the next one. We live anxiously and guarded, worried that if things start to get better, that can only mean they are about to get worse. We often find ourselves quaking before the ground does.  

But the heartening truth of Scripture is that a much greater “quaking” takes place in heaven when we pray during times of trouble. As David said in Psalm 18,

“In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help . . . Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry. The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of fire. He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters” (Ps. 18:6a, 7, 13, 16; cf. Acts 4:31; James 5:16b). 

When we send up a prayer for help during trials, the Lord treats it like a call for backup. At the sound of our requests, God rises like a mighty warrior from His throne, rattling the floor of heaven with His swift steps, and heaven’s gates fling open wide just so the Lord can get to our side. When we pray in peril, God shouts across the heavens as though to say, “Out of My way, My child is in trouble!” When our prayers reach His ears, He leaves the throne-room of glory and enters the battlefield with us. He conducts a search-and-rescue mission when we petition Him for mercy in misery, and will even mobilize creation itself to provide us with reinforcements so we can survive the battle.

Every good father—upon hearing his child crying in danger—would drop everything, rush to his location, and push aside anything that stands in his way. Likewise, our heavenly Father rushes to our position, pushing aside all the glories of heaven and all the starry hosts of the heavens to come to our aid when we need Him. As James Rowe (1865-1933) wrote in the great hymn Love Lifted Me,

“But the Master of the sea

heard my despairing cry,

from the waters lifted me

now safe am I.”

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, 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

Heaven’s Savings Account | Bible Gleanings | January 31 – February 1, 2026

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The young man complied although he did not completely comprehend his father’s request. If he wished to continue living at home, he had to stick with his dad’s straightforward stipulations: hold down a job and pay rent. So, he paid his parents a substantial sum every month, hard-earned money that might otherwise have gone toward video games, upgrading his smartphone, and acquiring frivolous things from Amazon. Eventually, he decided to move out and buy his first home. It was then that his father revealed a long-time-coming surprise: “Son, I’ve been putting all of the money you’ve paid your mother and I into a savings account for the down payment on your house.”

His sacrifices literally paid off. Though he likely doubted at times whether it was a waste of time and money, he ended up paying himself. And similarly, the sacrifices we make for the Lord and His kingdom are everlasting investments. What we give up for Christ—as costly as it may be on earth—is sent ahead of us and reserved in an eternal “savings account,” to be inherited when we leave this world to live in a “house not made with hands” (2 Cor. 5:1). And this account is insured by the greatest “FDIC” of all: the Father’s Deposits in Christ.

According to Jesus, we rob ourselves of heavenly rewards when we settle for a comfortable and complacent life where our time, talents, and treasures are spent on ourselves (cf. Mark 8:34-36). But when we give until it hurts, serve when it interrupts our schedule, and choose costly obedience over convenient sins, we grow “rich toward God” (Luke 12:21) and stockpile treasure in heaven:

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal” (Matt. 6:19-20, KJV).

Christ also assured that we accrue “interest” on what we sacrifice:

“Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life” (Luke 18:29-30).

In other words, the Lord will not only reimburse what we give up on earth—He will infinitely multiply it in eternity.

Still, just as the son paid rent to please his father rather than secure a reward, we must bless others, give our all for God’s kingdom, and treat every day as a sacrificial altar—not to manipulate God for blessings, but simply to please Him. The Lord owes us nothing, yet He promises to reward our faithfulness with “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4). Are you storing up treasures in heaven?

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, 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

Looking Beyond This Life | Bible Gleanings | January 24-25, 2026

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You are standing on a vanishing strip of soil, but not for long. Surrounding you on both sides are two rapidly raging rivers, eating away the ground beneath your feet. Swimming to safety is not an option, and it is only a matter of time before one of the turbulent torrents sweeps you away forever. Strangely, the secret to survival is your sight—keeping your gaze locked on both rushing rapids. And this is not a heart-stopping scene from a survival movie—this is how John Wesley (June 28, 1703—March 2, 1791) picturesquely described living a life that counts for eternity before your heart stops:

“I desire to have both heaven and hell ever in my eye, while I stand on this isthmus of life, between two boundless oceans.”

The Scripture supports Wesley’s sobering statement. Life is as short as a three-to-five second breath (Ps. 144:4), and fades as quickly as a vapor (James 4:14). We are candles flickering in the wind, living on borrowed time, and only one heartbeat away from eternity. But why should heaven-bound believers live with one eye fixed on heaven and the other eye fixed on hell? Simply put, concentrating on heaven keeps our hearts lifted and contemplating hell keeps our feet moving. 

To cheer our troubled hearts, we should think often of that glorious place being prepared for us by Christ (John 14:2-3), and to ignite evangelistic zeal in our hearts, we should think often of that gruesome place prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41), where lost souls are headed. While enduring bitter afflictions, we should ponder the bliss and wonder of spending a never-ending eternity of worshipping Christ (Rom. 8:18), but to strengthen our resolve to preach the gospel to every creature, we should pin our thoughts to the banishment and woe of a never-ceasing eternity of enduring the wrath of God, laid up for our unbelieving friends and family members (2 Thess. 1:8-9). While we rejoice that our names are written in heaven (Luke 10:20), we must remember that the souls whose names are not found in the Lamb’s Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire forever and ever (Rev. 20:12-15), and that should compel us to preach unto them, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). While we yearn for the day when God will wipe away every tear from our eyes (Rev. 21:4), we must grieve that there is a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 13:42), to which unsaved souls around us are bound, unless they hear and believe the gospel from our lips. 

Keep both infinite oceans in view. Let heaven anchor your heart—let hell awaken your concern. Let heaven console you—let hell compel you to action. Think about the glory awaiting you, and be encouraged. Think about the gloom awaiting the unsaved, and be evangelistic.

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, 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

God’s Positioning System | Bible Gleanings | December 27-28, 2025

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Without fail, I always added a thirty minute detour when I traveled to Louisville, Kentucky for classes and conferences, all because I failed to check my GPS. As you draw closer to the city, there is a hard-to-see exit off to the right—137B to be exact—and if you don’t switch lanes early, you will miss it because of the heavy traffic. Of course, I always zipped past it due to being immersed in classic rock on the radio or an audiobook. On the bright side, I got to explore several cities I had never visited before!

It wasn’t the fault of the GPS. It told me where to go. But it was up to me whether or not I listened. The GPS always gave the right directions, but I remained in control of the car. The availability of guidance wasn’t the problem—my lack of attention was.

And the same is true while traveling the heavenbound road of righteousness. The holy Scripture is the Lord’s GPS for our lives—God’s Positioning System. It tells us where to go, where not to go, what to do, and what not to do. As the psalmist declared, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105, KJV). The prophet Isaiah echoed the same truth: “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left” (Isa. 30:21).

However, just as with a GPS, we must choose to listen to and obey the directions the Lord provides in His word. We are still behind the wheel of our own lives, and the fateful power of decision is in our hands. And we could avoid many regretful detours of disobedience if we simply heeded the guidance of God’s word. This is why the Lord gently urges us, “Listen diligently to me . . . Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live” (Isa. 55:2b-3a). And He graciously assures us, “But whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster” (Prov. 1:33).

The English hymn-writer William W. How (1823-1897) captured this wonderfully in O Word of God Incarnate, saying that the Bible

“. . . Floateth like a banner

before God’s host unfurled;

it shineth like a beacon

above the darkling world.

It is the chart and compass

that o’er life’s surging sea,

‘mid mists and rocks and quicksands,

still guides, O Christ, to Thee.”

Are you listening to your GPS?

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, 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

The Bitter Cup of Legalism | Bible Gleanings | November 1-2, 2025

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Coffee was once considered the devil’s drink of choice. Because coffee was popular among Muslims who drank it to stay awake during their evening worship services, Roman Catholic Church leaders during the 16th century claimed that it was a demonic concoction “of Islamic infidels.” That is, until Pope Clement VIII gave it a taste—and it didn’t take long for him to bless the bean. “This Satan’s drink is so delicious,” he remarked, “it would be a pity to let the infidels have exclusive use of it. We shall fool Satan by baptizing it.”1 And immediately, coffee conquered the continent and flowed all the way to the mugs we fill every morning.

Coffee-hating legalists nearly missed out on one of God’s greatest gifts to mankind, and legalism continues to rob believers of God’s gifts of joy, grace, peace, and Christian liberty. Legalism, if you didn’t know, is when we add man-made rules and religious traditions to God’s word, grading our holiness and that of others based on restrictions God never gave us in the Scripture. Legalism turns us into spiritual hall monitors who police piety based on personal preferences. And legalism rears its ugly head when we measure spirituality by clothing choices, denominational traditions, worship music styles, and strict abstinence from activities not explicitly prohibited in the Bible—things like watching secular movies, wearing blue jeans to church, or enjoying classic rock music. The Pharisees of Jesus’ time were steeped in legalism, demonstrated by their indignant insinuation that His disciples were heathen-like sinners because they didn’t ceremonially wash their hands before eating (Mark 7:1-5). 

The apostle Paul warned believers about the danger of legalism in Colossians 2:20-23,

“You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires” (NLT).

Simply put, legalism may appear holy, but it does not make you holy. It may keep your hands clean, but it cannot keep your heart pure.

However, the remedy for legalism is not swerving to the opposite extreme and indulging in unrestrained and careless conduct. The solution is also not more rules—the answer is more Jesus (Col. 2:6). And we must obey the Lord out of gratitude for His saving grace (cf. 2 Cor. 5:14-15; Titus 2:11-12), and carefully assess our obedience according to what God has clearly written in His word. Additionally, we ought to enjoy and embrace the good gifts of God’s creation without guilt, and exercise wisdom while doing so. Otherwise, we will dilute the sweet cup of God’s grace and drink the bitter cup of legalism.

  1. Rick Beyer, The Greatest Stories Never Told (New York: HarperCollins, 2003), 30.

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, 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

Keep Ducking | Bible Gleanings | October 11-12, 2025

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I always duck my head when I put away the dishes. But not because my wife stealthily wields a frying pan, eager to cash in on some life insurance. No, I instinctively lower my head because of our poorly placed cabinet door—and my poor memory of its existence. It sits right above the dishwasher, and I have a bad habit of leaving it open while I put away plates, mugs, and cutlery. And having hit my head on it many times, I have learned to automatically duck—even while it is closed.

And the other day, the old adversary vanquished me again. Vibing to some good music with my headphones on, I forgot to duck, and a thud echoed across the kitchen. And a pulsing abrasion on my balding head served as a reminder that no matter how many times you’ve learned your lesson, old problems can still get you. Many dangers remain in place, waiting for you to forget they are there.

Paul the apostle understood this problem profoundly. After twenty-something years of continual Christian maturity, he admitted in Romans that he still “hit his head” from time to time:

“For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate . . . For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing . . . So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand” (Rom. 7:15, 18-19, 21).

Struggling with the same old sins and suffering from setbacks is a part of every saint’s sanctification. Sin isn’t going away until we are away from our bodies and present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8). Until then, we must remain diligently watchful and continue ducking our heads to avoid sin and the headaches it induces. The real danger is thinking there is no danger—that is precisely when sin inflicts another bruise on our heads. As Paul also said, “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12). 

And when sin hits us on the head due to our carelessness, the good news is that God will lift us up by His grace. The writer of Proverbs 24:16 promised, “For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.” The psalmist likewise assured, “Though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand” (Psalm 37:24). Keep ducking your head, Christian. And when you forget to do so, remember that God raises the humble heads of those who have been wounded by their besetting sins.

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, 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

Know Your Enemy | Bible Gleanings | October 4-5, 2025

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Countless wars have been won following its principles, and countless more have been lost by ignoring them. Written over 2,400 years ago by a Chinese military strategist named Sun Tzu, The Art of War is essentially the Proverbs of conflict. Sun Tzu poured his greatest war wisdom into this treatise, and one of its most prominent principles is this: “Know the enemy and know yourself; in a hundred battles you will never be in peril. If ignorant both of your enemy and of yourself, you are certain in every battle to be in peril.”

This proverbial proposition is particularly pertinent in our struggle against the devil. Satan succeeds in seducing us when his schemes remain a secret. But our chances of triumphing over the Tempter increase when we recognize his tools, tactics, and tricks. “Knowing is half the battle,” as G.I. Joe used to say, and we can only craft a battle plan against Satan once we understand his. And the Bible reveals Satan’s playbook in Luke 4:1-13, where he employed three strategies to tempt Christ in the wilderness: doubt, deception, and distortion.

The devil first enticed Jesus to turn stones into bread, not to relieve His hunger, but to doubt the provision of His Father (v. 3). Satan was essentially insinuating, “What kind of God would starve His only begotten Son? You better make bread because your ‘God’ isn’t providing for you this time.” And his wicked whispers reach our ears, too: “What kind of loving God would allow your prayers to go unanswered? What kind of Father allows His children to go without?”

The slithering serpent also tried to lure Christ into temptation through deception (vv. 5-7). The father of lies claimed that all sovereignty and dominion belonged to him, and he could, therefore, grant Jesus the greatest empires of the world. But the truth is that all power, authority, and glory are the Lord’s (Matt. 6:13b). Thus, Satan tells non-truths and half-truths but never the truth.

Lastly, the master of deceit used distortion to tempt the Lord Jesus (vv. 9-11). He twisted Psalm 91:11-12 to encourage Christ to leap from the temple roof to His death. The devil knows the Scripture and knows how to modify, misrepresent, and misuse it. He mixes lies with truth so that it is difficult to discern the difference. And this is not surprising since the first words uttered from his lying lips were, “Hath God said?” (Gen. 3:1a, KJV).

And for each of these strategies, there is one proven defense: the word of God. Christ resisted every temptation by declaring, “It is written” (v. 4, 8, 12), and we must wield the sword of the Spirit in Satan’s face. A dusty Bible on our shelves will not help us, but the word of God stored upon the shelves of our soul certainly will. To vanquish Satan, you must know your enemy and know your Bible.

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, 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

Waiting Without Withering | Bible Gleanings | September 27-28, 2025

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True love waits, but it might nearly kill you. In 2016, a man named Alexander Cirk determined to see his online girlfriend five-thousand miles away in China. He booked a flight and sent his sweetheart photos of his ticket and dreamed of embracing her. But when he arrived, he embraced no one—his darling was nowhere to be found. 

Assuming she was running late, Cirk waited for her in the airport. And he waited for ten days until, according to NBC News, “authorities reportedly took a frail-looking Cirk to a local hospital for treatment.” When his girlfriend was eventually tracked down, she thought he was joking about the trip! Two lessons arise from this: (1) be careful with online dating—you might end up in the hospital and in the hole, and (2) waiting is incredibly difficult. And the latter lesson is one that the Lord teaches us throughout His word.

We are commanded in Psalm 27:14, “Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” We must wait with patience—for answers to prayer (Ps. 40:1), for God’s guidance (Prov. 3:5-6), for deliverance from tribulations (Ps. 37:7), for the provision of our needs (Ps. 33:20), for justice to be done (Rom. 12:19), and for the fulfillment of His plan and promises (Ps. 138:8). And waiting is particularly challenging because we are conditioned against it. We can microwave our supper, send a text or e-mail instantaneously, and receive packages from Amazon in two days. But there is no fast-forward button on God’s plan (Eccl. 3:11).

But although waiting is hard, it is also holy. Waiting provides an opportunity to stretch out our faith across time. Waiting expresses trust in God’s goodness and wisdom, as waiting essentially says, “God knows better than I do. My life and times are in His hands” (cf. Ps. 31:15). And thankfully, we do not have to wither while waiting, for God promises to strengthen us: “But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint” (Isa. 40:31).

Jacob of old waited fourteen years for Rachel, but it “seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her” (Gen. 29:20). And when we believe that God and His good plan are worth waiting for, how long we must wait will matter very little. As the Puritan George Swinnock wisely stated, “To lengthen my patience is the best way to shorten my troubles.” That is, the more we resolve to wait and trust in the Lord’s perfect timing, the less we will think about how long our suffering must last. Waiting is worthwhile, so let us take our eyes off of our clocks and calendars and fix them upon our Creator whose timing is always perfectly precise.

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, 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

Refuge for a Nation in Ruin | Bible Gleanings | September 20-21, 2025

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“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3). In light of the abominable and anti-American tragedies that have occurred in recent days, many believers are asking this question. The assassination of Charlie Kirk, murder of Iryna Zarutska, and continual school shootings have left many believers helpless and hopeless. What can American Christians do when the fundamental cornerstone of free speech is threatened by the bullets of political extremists? What can we do when there are no longer any safe spaces from such violence? 

First, we must recognize the problem. The moral foundations of our great nation are eroding. For decades, the federal government has attempted to redefine, and thereby undermine, the societal groundwork that holds America together. A moral society cannot survive when it jettisons basic truths—truths found most of all in the Scripture—truths such as: God-ordained marriage is between one man and one woman for life (Gen. 2:24); you are the gender your chromosomes say you are (Gen. 1:27); children in the womb should not be slaughtered—but protected by the law (Psalm 139:13-16); those who take human life should be penalized to the highest extent of the law (Gen. 9:6); and the government’s job is to inflict terror upon evildoers which, therefore, allows morality to flourish on its own (Rom. 13:3-4).

Second, we must revive our concern for our country. Believers in Christ must not retreat into the shadows, rather, we must expose the works of darkness and bring Christianity back into the public square (Acts 17:16-34; Eph. 5:11), never backing down from speaking the truth in love (Eph. 4:15). We must love harder and proclaim the gospel of Christ bolder than ever (Mark 12:31; 16:15). We must work harder than ever before to rebuild our nation’s crumbling moral foundations. And to spread salt and light throughout our society (Matt. 5:13), we must elect and support lion-hearted and constitution-following men and women who possess unbreakable moral backbones, and refuse to settle for anything less.

Third, we must take refuge in the Lord (Psalm 11:1; Prov. 18:10). This doesn’t mean retreating into our prayer closets and ignoring the ills around us—it means relying upon the Lord in the midst of trouble. Taking refuge in the Lord does not mean fleeing from the battle, but having faith in God during the battle. More than ever, we must believe against what our eyes see—trusting that God is still good, His word is still true, His promises are still trustworthy, His sovereignty is still real, His providence is still active, and His plan cannot be thwarted. And part of trusting in God is repenting of our trust in the golden calf of politics. Neither the donkey nor the elephant can save us or our nation, but the Lamb of God can.

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, 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.