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Bible Gleanings, devotions, Sermons

Hold the Fort | Bible Gleanings – March 5-6, 2022

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The frightening thunder of artillery fire rattled slumbering Union soldiers at daybreak on October 5, 1864. The march of Confederate soldiers shook the ground as they rallied to seize the Union supply depot at Allatoona Pass. General Samuel G. French ordered his men to pound the Union fort with a hailstorm of shells and a merciless spray of gunfire while he moved north to enclose the garrison. Convinced he had the upper hand, French sent a note to John M. Corse, the Union general commanding the sought-after fort: “To avoid a needless effusion of blood, I call on you to surrender your forces at once and unconditionally. Five minutes will be allowed you to decide.” And before the clock ran out, Corse gave his answer: “Bring it on.”

French moved in to tighten the noose and unleash hell. Bullets smacked the dirt and Union soldiers knelt for cover. The crack of rifles grew louder as Confederate soldiers drew nearer.  And as pressure to surrender mounted, Union General William T. Sherman sent a message to Corse that read, “Hold the fort; for I am coming!” French withdrew by four o’clock, unable to break the stouthearted resolve of the Union soldiers and the fortitude of Sherman’s reinforcements.[1] This left the Union in possession of the rations and ammunition the Confederates desperately needed to tip the scales of the Civil War in their favor.

The Commander of heaven’s armies, the Lord Jesus Christ, sends the same message to all of His beleaguered and faithful saints: “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown” (Rev. 3:11). The devil’s bombardments may cause us to flee for cover (Eph. 6:16). The increasing number of those abandoning the Lord’s faithful army may cause us to feel outnumbered (1 Tim. 4:1). Trials and tribulations may hedge us in, causing us to despair for victory and relief (Psalm 13:1-2). But Jesus calls us to “hold the fort,” because He is coming soon to bring reinforcements.

Stay on the battlefield, for Jesus is coming to vanquish Satan and the kingdom of darkness (Rev. 20:10). Wield the sword of Scripture against false teaching, for the Truth is coming to send the “father of lies” scurrying in hopeless retreat (John 8:44; 14:6; Rev. 19:11). Stand firm in this hostile world, for the King is coming to subdue His enemies by the mere appearance of His glorious presence (2 Thess. 2:8). Fight for faith in your trials, for Christ is coming to trample pain, tears, and death once and for all (Rev. 21:4).

It is no wonder that Phillip P. Bliss wrote in 1870:

“Ho, my comrades, see the signal, waving in the sky!

Reinforcements now appearing, victory is nigh.

“Hold the fort, for I am coming,” Jesus signals still;

Wave the answer back to heaven, “By thy grace we will.”[2]

[1] Historians disagree on the timing of General Sherman’s reinforcements, but agree that Union victory at Allatoona would likely have been impossible without them—no matter when they arrived.

[2] Hymn-writer Phillip P. Bliss composed this chorus in the hymn Hold the Fort, which was inspired by the events that transpired at the Battle of Allatoona Pass during the Civil War.

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

Wake From Sleep | Bible Gleanings – Feb 19-20, 2022

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The German theologian and reformer Martin Luther (1483-1546) once told a sobering legend about what makes the devil happy:

“The devil once held a great anniversary,” he explained, “at which his emissaries were convened to report the results of their several missions.”

One minion remarked, “I let loose the wild beasts on a caravan of Christians, and their bones are now bleaching on the sands.”

“What of that?” the devil scolded. “Their souls were all saved!”

“I drove the east wind against a ship freighted with Christians,” said another, “and they were all drowned.”

“What of that? Their souls were all saved!” the devil chastised once more.

But said another, “For ten years I tried to get a single Christian asleep, and I succeded and left him so.”

“Then the devil shouted, and the night stars of hell sang for joy,” Luther concluded.

Luther was correct: nothing delights the devil more than a sleeping Christian. If you are a believer, Satan isn’t gratified by your death. But he exults and makes merry when you slumber on the bed of apathy and lukewarm spirituality. Those who snooze on the couch of indifference pose no threat to the savage kingdom of darkness (Eph. 2:2; Col. 1:13; 1 John 5:19). Those who catnap on the recliner of spiritual lethargy are unsuspecting prey to the roaring lion’s ferocious attacks (1 Pet. 5:8).

The Lord calls you to keep your eyes peeled for spiritual danger like a soldier on nightwatch, no matter how tempting it may be to catch a wink. That is why Paul wrote, “So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation” (1 Thess. 5:6-8). Don’t doze off. Remain vigilant. You can’t afford to sleep when you are fighting a deadly war (Eph. 6:10-20; 1 Pet. 2:11).

One dependable way to stay awake is to remain active in the Lord’s service. You are less likely to drift into the coma of moral carelessness and laxity when you are engaged in activity that is pleasing to the Lord. Idleness, on the other hand, will quickly lull you to sleep. Stay awake, and you’ll stay alive: “Give your eyes no sleep and your eyelids no slumber; save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the hand of the fowler” (Prov. 6:4-5). Wake from sleep, dear Christian, and rob the devil of his delight!

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

A Free Offer | Bible Gleanings – Feb 12-13, 2022

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In addition to receiving monthly bills in the mail, I also get a half-pound bundle of useless vouchers and coupons I never redeem. Limited-time cable and internet bargains, special fast-food discounts, and a membership form for AARP are all included in the colorful paper clump. The real prize lies buried within: a slew of slips emblazoned with the words, “FREE OFFER INSIDE.” And the offers are absolutely irresistible: a $100,000 life insurance policy for only $3 a month, a $200 gift card for a cable service that goes out when a raindrop hits the roof, and a free tank of gas when you purchase a truck with the low price tag of $50,000! 

However, if you read the fine print, you’ll find that the “free” offers aren’t actually free. There are always caveats and strings attached. And besides, none of the offers truly deliver on their claims. Fortunately, there is one free offer that is truly free. It always delivers on its promises, and it is clear of any belying fine print. It is not found in the mailboxes of every street, but it is offered to the heart of every sinner. And I found it, not when I opened a discount mailer, but when I opened my Bible, which says:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16).

God’s offer of everlasting life is free for all. You cannot buy it with an offering and you cannot earn it through good works (cf. Acts 8:20). Jesus purchased it in full by His atoning death, so you don’t have to (Eph. 1:7). That is why Paul declared, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:8-9).

Furthermore, there is no small print excluding anyone from the offer of forgiveness and eternal life. Salvation is for every tongue, class, and culture. God doesn’t pass you by because of how you look or where you come from. Every person of every race stands condemned before the bench of His righteousness, and every person is invited and commanded to be made righteous through faith in Jesus Christ alone (Romans 3:22-23; 10:12-13).

Friend, this is an offer you can’t refuse. Reach out your hands and accept it by repenting of your sins and trusting wholly in Christ for your salvation (Acts 17:30; Gal. 2:16). And do so now while the offer still stands: “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near” (Isaiah 55:6).

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 Book That Cleans | Bible Gleanings – Feb 5-6, 2022

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Several years ago, Time Magazine published a segment titled The 25 Best Inventions of 2015, in which they listed a bevy of innovative inventions and cutting-edge gadgets that make the world a better place. Each gizmo and doodad enhances the quality of everyday life, but one invention stands above the rest: the Drinkable Book. Created by Theresa Dankovich, a researcher at Carnegie Mellon University, the Drinkable Book contains silver-infused pages that can be used to filter contaminated water. Just one page filters up to 100 liters of water, providing a cost-effective solution for impoverished communities who do not have access to clean drinking water. The book’s purifying pages ensure survival for people who would otherwise perish from bacterial infections and other deadly waterborne diseases—the book is literally life-saving.

There is another kind of Book that cleanses—one that may be found on the nightstand, the pulpit, or the pew: the word of the living God, the Bible. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the Scripture contains sanitizing pages that filter the bacteria of evil from our lives. Each passage in God’s word is infused with sin-killing, iniquity-cleansing, wickedness-purifying truth that sanctifies us from sin unto God. That is why Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). Without its disinfecting truth, we will suffer from sin-infections contracted from worldly corruption, heart-borne evils, and false teaching.

The human heart flows with the “springs of life” as Solomon wrote, but because the heart is also “desperately wicked,” it spews tainted water that toxically contaminates all of existence (Proverbs 4:23; Jeremiah 17:9). Therefore, we need the truth of Scripture to pierce our innermost being and expunge us of evil (Hebrews 4:12). It is only by His “precious and very great promises” that we are cleansed of defilement (2 Peter 1:4). Nothing but the “whole counsel of God” can flush the mind of the muck of error (Acts 20:27; cf. 2 Timothy 3:16). As the psalmist aptly confessed, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word” (Psalm 119:9).

Filter your heart’s fountain with God’s word. Sift all ideas and teachings through the pages of Scripture before you drink them in. Clean off the dust from your Bible so God may use it to clean you. “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you” (John 15:3, KJV).

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 Greatness of Weakness | Bible Gleanings – Jan 22-23, 2022

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It wasn’t the hottest sermon I had ever preached, but it was certainly the hottest building I had ever preached in. I was scheduled to preach to a group of eager youngsters at a youth summer camp, but I had no idea that obstacles were also on the schedule. In the middle of the week, the air conditioning kicked off in the chapel, elevating the indoor temperature to about 90°. When it was my time to preach, I couldn’t concentrate. I was saturated in perspiration, and the students were straining to stay cool. To make matters worse, not one student came to the altar at the end of the service.

Later that evening, a student named Alex remarked, “Brother Brandon, I’m gonna be honest with you—and no offense—but I didn’t hear a single word you said.” Jeez! Talk about adding insult to injury! However, Alex repented of his sins in that very hour, and explained to me that God was speaking so loudly to him during my sermon that he couldn’t hear me at all! To this day, that was the best post-sermon compliment I have ever received.

Paul the apostle was right—the power to save souls rests not in the messenger, but in the message:

“And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:1-5).

God will use you despite your imperfections and inadequacies. Preach to the unsaved even when you are nervous or uncertain. Disciple the hungry souls under your care even when your efforts appear fruitless. Encourage the despondent even when you feel that your words won’t make a difference. Pray for the wayward even when it feels like your prayers go no higher than the ceiling.

Do not rely on your skills or speaking abilities; instead, rely on God’s strength and His promise to speak through you (Matthew 10:20). Do not confide in your own intelligence or wisdom; rather, trust in the Lord’s incomprehensible power to convert souls (Romans 1:16). Do not give up if you see no success when doing the work of the Lord—depend on the sufficiency of God’s grace (2 Corinthians 9:8).

Don’t forsake doing good if you think you’re not any good at doing good! D.L. Moody once said, “If you don’t go to work for the Lord because you’re afraid of making mistakes, you will probably make the greatest mistake of your life—that of doing nothing.”

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 Sting of Conviction | Bible Gleanings – January 15-16, 2022

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The truck accelerated down the road toward our little beagle, who was sniffing garbage someone hurled out their window, and her life was saved by a teensy zap of electricity administered by her shock collar. An agitated bobcat hissed at our English shepherd during an evening hike, and a quick jolt from his electric collar yanked him away from the furious feline and back toward me. And, until the day when our Jack Russell first wore her shock collar, she would race beside the tires of passing vehicles in an attempt to outrun them.

Using shock collars may be considered cruel by some, but they have saved our dogs from danger and even death on numerous occasions. Of course, neither we nor the dogs enjoy using them as a means of discipline, but there are times when a sudden sting is the only method to warn them of imminent danger and correct their course.

There are times when the Spirit of God “shocks” us with a zap of conviction to warn us that we are headed for spiritual danger. The Holy Spirit stings our conscience when we drift too close to sin’s deadly road. It certainly burns when He jabs our heart with a prick of reproof, but it is required for us to flee spiritual peril and return to God. Each time He arrests our heart through the sting of admonition, He is saying, “Come, let us return to the LORD” (Hosea 6:1).

He executes conviction for the first time at your conversion, when you realize that you have offended a holy God by your sin. Jesus said, “And when he comes, he [the Holy Spirit] will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment” (John 16:8). But He continues to alert you of your need to repent, and He will alarm you of potential spiritual danger when it is present. He will poke at your conscience all-day long if you have unconfessed sin in your life (Psalm 32:3-5). And because He guides you into all truth, He will send a spark of correction to your mind when you drift into theological error (John 16:13).

Embrace the Spirit’s occasional sting of conviction—God is using it to save your life.

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

Light Exposure | Bible Gleanings – January 8-9, 2022

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Skunk spray is easy to smell, but difficult to see. A few months ago, our dogs were sprayed by the gag-inducing gas (nothing out of the ordinary), and I had difficulty expelling the odor from our home because I couldn’t tell where it was. I could no longer endure identifying it with my nose, so I purchased an ultraviolet flashlight to do so. Because the flashlight emits fluorescent rays that detect mold, pet urine, and other stains, I thought skunk spray (which is an oil) would undoubtedly glow neon green under its light. 

Unfortunately, it did not. However, when I strolled around the house with the handheld light, it uncovered spots and stains I never saw before. It highlighted tiny specks of food residue near the trash can and small drip lines of condensation by the stovetop fan. The light exposed grime I could not see with the naked eye. And, while I was frustrated to discover that we had even more to clean than before, I am grateful that the light revealed previously unseen dirt. Don’t buy an ultraviolet flashlight unless you are prepared to break out the Clorox for a thorough cleaning!

The blazing light of holy Scripture also exposes grime we cannot see with the naked eye. The Holy Spirit uses the Bible to reveal stains that we would never detect by ourselves. When you read and study God’s word, it shines a brilliant beam on sin’s residue in your heart and life. Paul wrote, “But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light” (Ephesians 5:13).

Apart from Scripture’s radiant light of truth shining upon us, we will stumble in the darkness of evil and error. The psalmist declared, “The unfolding of your words gives light” (Psalm 119:130). Solomon likewise proclaimed, “For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life” (Proverbs 6:23).

The light of Scripture does not uncover our sins so the Lord may see them, for even “our secret sins [are] in the light of your presence” (Psalm 90:8). Instead, the Bible’s gleaming light exposes our sins so we can see them for what they truly are.

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

Repurposing | Bible Gleanings – January 1-2, 2022

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An old coffee mug could sit comfortably on your desk as a container for pens and pencils. You could paint used soup cans and reuse them as miniature flower pots. That worn-out wooden ladder in your shed could be fastened horizontally to the wall as a small bookshelf. There are hundreds of household items that can be recycled for a new purpose. The landfill doesn’t have to be their final home.

Using something for a purpose other than its original intended use is called repurposing or “upcycling.” This creative hobby generates joy for DIY enthusiasts, as well as growing viewership for handyman television shows where the host(s) specialize in finding new uses for old junk. But although repurposing has enjoyed much interest recently, there is only One who has been giving new purpose to seemingly purposeless things since the beginning of time: God. In His divine providence, the sovereign Lord uses things you would never think of to accomplish His good purposes.

The Bible is replete with “repurposing” stories where God used seemingly inconsequential, meaningless, or even evil things to fulfill His indestructible plan of redemption. Joseph never would have ruled in Egypt if the Midianite traders hadn’t discovered him in the pit his brothers tossed him into (Genesis 37:28). If Moses’ mother had not sent him downstream in a basket on the Nile, where he was found by Pharaoh’s daughter, he would never have led the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 2:1-10). Ruth would never have met and married Boaz in his barley fields if she hadn’t gone there to help Naomi survive the famine (Ruth 1:22). Mary and Joseph only went to Bethlehem, the prophesied birthplace of the Messiah, because of Caesar’s simple decree to pay taxes (Luke 2:1-3). The Samaritan woman encountered and was transformed by Jesus because she went out to draw water (John 4:7). And none of us would possess the gift of salvation were it not for an ugly crucifix planted atop Golgotha’s hill (John 19:17).

God gave a new purpose to a pit, a basket, a field, a decree, a water pail, and a Roman cross. The Scripture is unequivocally clear: God specializes in repurposing. That’s why Paul wrote, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). Because of God’s providence, there is always purpose in your pain, meaning in the mundane, and significance in your strain. Hope in the Lord to repurpose all things in your life for good and His glory. Or as Solomon counseled, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).

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

Jesus Is Comin’ to Town | Bible Gleanings [Advent Edition] – December 25-26, 2021

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Children all across the world are excitedly waiting for Santa Claus to deliver lots of toys and goodies to their homes. The children are so eagerly awaiting Santa that they go to bed early and leave cookies and milk for him to enjoy. There are even songs about Santa’s coming which dominate the radio waves, such as “Here Comes Santa Claus” and “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town.” Little boys and girls are warned to be on their best behavior because, “he’s making a list and checking it twice.”

The excitement for Santa’s one-time visit pales in comparison to the Israelites’ anticipation of the Messiah’s arrival. They waited for thousands of years for the One who would bring them salvation by offering Himself as a substitute (Isaiah 53:4-6). They waited for centuries on the arrival of their Savior, the One who would crush Satan’s head and reverse the curse of sin (Genesis 3:15-19). Finally, He arrived on earth on Christmas Day. He was born in the likeness of men with a fleshly body (Philippians 2:5-8; Colossians 1:22; Hebrews 2:14, 17-18).

His first advent was humble, quiet, and observed by only His earthly parents, lowly shepherds, and a few bystanders. Now that He accomplished the work God sent Him to do, we are waiting on His second advent. He will come to earth a second time, and this time, everyone will see it: “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen” (Revelation 1:7). He will not come as a helpless babe, but as the King of kings and Lord of lords riding on a white horse to “tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty” (Revelation 19:15). 

One glorious day, Jesus is comin’ to town. Have you made preparations for His second arrival? He is coming soon: “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done” (Revelation 22:12). It may be Christmas Day, tomorrow, or a thousand years from now. In any case, you must be ready: “Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:44).

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, christmas, devotions

Christmas Interruptions | Bible Gleanings [Advent Edition] – December 18-19, 2021

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“And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream” (Matthew 1:19-20a).

Joseph was crushed. His heart was lacerated. Apparently, the woman he loved had committed adultery. How else would you explain this pregnancy? Joseph couldn’t go through with this marriage. Mary had betrayed his trust. Therefore, he resolved to end their betrothal, albeit quietly, because he didn’t want to cause a public ruckus.

The Christmas story is in jeopardy. All hopes of a Messiah would be dashed if Joseph goes through with the divorce. Joseph was crucial for the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies about Christ descending from David’s royal lineage (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5-6). If Joseph divorces Mary, then Jesus will never inherit all the rights and privileges of being in David’s family. God’s plan has come to an end—or so it seemed.

That’s when God stepped in and stopped him. The Lord intervened by sending an angel to Joseph in his sleep to explain the confounding situation and assure him that the child conceived in her was “from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:20b). God’s plan was not in peril. The Lord did not panic. Joseph’s confusion was merely another page in God’s pre-orchestrated novel of events. And He supernaturally intervened to bring it to fulfillment.

The Lord God still does this today. God may not send an angel to you when He wants to get you back on course, but He will interrupt your life and intervene in unexpected (and possibly unwanted) ways to accomplish His perfect purpose. Who knows how many times God has done this already? Have faith in the good and sovereign Lord, trusting that He knows what He is doing. He does what He pleases and perfectly carries out His plan for His people (Psalm 115:3; Romans 8:28). Embrace interruptions and obstacles. They are just another page in your pre-written story. 

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).