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Bible Gleanings, devotions

The Snare of Success | Bible Gleanings – September 2-3, 2023

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Success is the most sought-after specialty in society. Everyone wants to hit the jackpot, cross the finish line, and climb a mountain. Heaps of self-help books have been published on attaining success. There are also countless seminars and online podcasts devoted to helping you strike the oil of happiness and ride the gravy train to prosperity. But what is often omitted is how dangerous success can often be. 

There’s a lot of truth in the old adage that says, “The higher you climb, the harder you fall.” This is a common contemporary proverb, and King Solomon (the author of Proverbs in the Bible) probably understood it better than anyone else. He climbed higher than most people in history—he built Israel’s first temple, established nationwide peace, and his sage wisdom earned him country-wide fame. And he fell harder than most characters in biblical history. As a matter of fact, he fell all the way to his own death and the dissolution of Israel itself (1 Kings 11:4; 12:16-24).

Solomon’s feet were caught in a snare when he had the world at his feet. He slipped away from God when he was on the mountaintop. And we are most prone to falling at the mountainous heights of our successes, too. The mountaintop can be a dangerous place if you forget how you got there and if you think nothing can knock you down. That is why Paul cautioned, “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12).

Solomon was the wisest person in the world apart from Jesus, and yet he fell from the mountain of success because he thought falling was impossible. And we are delusory if we believe we are invincible on the mountaintop, no matter how wise we claim to be. Ironically, it was Solomon who wrote, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov. 16:18). We are ripe for destruction if we treat our accomplishments as an impenetrable fortress and our prosperity as safer than an eagle’s nest. As God warned, “You live in a rock fortress and control the mountain heights. But even if you make your nest among the peaks with the eagles, I will bring you crashing down,” says the LORD”” (Jer. 49:16b).

Therefore, we must remain humble, even if God has providentially led us up to a mountain peak. If we have enjoyed great successes, we must give thanks to the Lord without thinking that we are insulated from danger. For if we inflate ourselves with pride like Solomon, the Lord may pop our balloon. We can either stay low and receive honor from the Lord, or we can soar high in pride and risk incurring His scorn. As Jesus said, “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Matt. 23:12).

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

When the Morning Comes | Bible Gleanings – August 26-27, 2023

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Waking up to the welcoming warmth of the morning sun when winter backpacking is a wonderful experience. I remember one occasion when I was trekking through the Lusk Creek Wilderness of southern Illinois, and temperatures tumbled to the mid-20s. And I shivered without sleep despite my best efforts to keep warm. I was bundled in a sleeping bag, blanketed with thermal clothes, and burning beside me was a small fire, but nothing could keep me warm. The only thought that got me through the chilly night was, “Just a few hours longer. I only have to wait for the sunrise, and the cold will disappear. Just hang on until the morning comes.”

Likewise, the warming truth that encourages the Lord’s saints to bear the bitter cold of trials and tribulations is this: we only have to suffer “until the morning comes.” The sun of God’s working-all-things-for-good providence will eventually rise and warm the weary soul (Rom. 8:28). Trials will not go on forever, and His goodness will finally rise upon us to melt away the icy coldness of troubles. And sometimes, the blanket of good days and warm encouragement from friends are not enough to keep us from shivering during frigid tribulations. But we do not have to give up—we need only to remind ourselves, “Just hang on until the morning comes.” 

More importantly, one day the Son will appear and the warmth of His welcoming presence will melt away sin, sorrow, sickness, and suffering. God assured us in Malachi: “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall” (Mal. 4:2, KJV). Furthermore, on that bright and cloudless morning we shall be taken to glory, where His presence replaces the heat of the sun: “No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever (Rev. 22:3-5).

This soul-warming truth is eloquently expressed in When the Morning Comes, a hymn written by Charles Albert Tindley (1851-1933):

“Trials dark on ev’ry hand,

and we cannot understand

All the ways that God would lead us

to that blessed Promised Land;

But He’ll guide us with His eye,

and we’ll follow till we die;

We will understand it better by and by.

By and by, when the morning comes,

When the saints of God are gathered home,

We will tell the story how we’ve overcome;

We will understand it better by and by.”

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

Phony Peace | Bible Gleanings – August 19-20, 2023

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“Do you know how to blow up balloons, Brandon?” the surgical staff asked. Of course I knew how—I wasn’t a sissy. In fact, one of my proudest moments as a kid was inflating a balloon by myself. But, instead of handing me a bright balloon to enjoy, the medical team strapped a mask on my face and instructed me to blow into it like I was inflating a balloon. They were administering anesthetics through it to knock me out during my tonsillectomy, and after two breaths, I was in Snoozeville. 

Anesthesia is a godsend in modern medical advancement. It is better than chomping down on a hunk of wood or chugging a bottle of whiskey to make painful procedures bearable. But the sedation-induced sleep doesn’t last forever, and it doesn’t compare to hitting the hay after a long day. The pain-free sleep that anesthesia provides lasts only a few hours until its effects wear off. At best, it offers temporary tranquility and peace that isn’t permanent. 

The world also offers a perishable peace and spurious serenity that wears off faster than anesthesia. It lasts for only a little while, and then you wake up in distress all over again. The world may tell you that peace comes to those who follow their heart and fulfill their selfish ambitions, but the end result is always dissatisfaction and chaos. The world’s prescription for peace is found in pill and beer bottles, but such external things can never produce internal peace in the soul. And the reason the world’s peace is fleeting is because it is false.

James warned that pursuing selfish ambitions produces disorder, not peace (James 3:17). Living life for yourself results in death, not a happy and harmonious life: “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace” (Rom. 8:6; cf. Isaiah 48:22). And peace cannot be found in drugs or alcohol, as they are simply “broken cisterns that can hold no water” (Jer. 2:13). True and lasting peace can only come from Jesus: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).

The best the world can offer is anesthesia for your soul. But the “God of peace” will grant you a “peace that surpasses all understanding” if you will trust in Him and believe on His Son, Jesus (2 Thess. 3:6; Phil. 4:7). And Jesus invites you to seek true peace from Him: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28-29). What kind of peace do you have: phony or permanent? Do you have “anesthesia” for your soul, or have you come to Jesus for the real thing?

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, Sermons

Guard Your Heart | Bible Gleanings – August 12-13, 2023

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I stooped down to strain water from the stream. I filled my filter with the creek’s crystal clear hydration, and went to work. I know better than to drink unfiltered water when backpacking, no matter how clean it appears to be. Unseen bacteria and microscopic debris can cause infections and ailments when ingested, and a strong filter is required for making water in the outdoors drinkable. But, as I collected the water, I glanced to the right and noticed an unforeseen bacterial threat: my dog squatting in the stream and releasing a stream of her own.

I was sure that the sanitizing filter would sterilize the water, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I could have even waited until the yellow toxin passed by, but the water source was no longer “number one” in my opinion. Foreign chemicals were introduced to it, and it was a “wee” too contaminated. Therefore, I strolled up the stream to a sparkling spring, and hydrated myself there instead. And, every backpacking trip since then, my dog must wait on the bank so I may filter water with a peace of mind.

I was reminded in that moment of the wise words written by Solomon: “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Prov. 4:23). According to Solomon, the heart is like a gushing spring. The fountain of the heart naturally flows into our lives and the lives of others, just as a spring naturally flows into the forest to nourish vegetation and animals. And thus, the spring of the heart must be clean, for if it is polluted, contamination will gush into our life and the lives of everyone around us. Therefore, the believer must guard the heart “with all vigilance,” and pay close attention to what goes into the heart, since whatever goes in will inevitably come out.

As Charles H. Spurgeon once remarked, “We must keep our hearts pure; for if the heart be not pure, the life can not be pure. Whence come our carnality, covetousness, pride, sloth, and unbelief? Are they not all to be traced to the corruption of our hearts?” This is what Jesus taught, too. He cautioned, “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45; cf. Matt. 15:18-19).

That is why David prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10, KJV). We must pray for this also, and we must keep a close eye on what enters our hearts. When sin does—whether from the flesh, the world, or the devil—our hearts are polluted. But, when Scripture does, our hearts are purified (John 17:17; Eph. 5:26).

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

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:

Bible Gleanings, devotions

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: