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Bible Gleanings, devotions

Coals in the Fireplace | Bible Gleanings – Nov 13-14, 2021

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He arrived bright and early every Sunday to greet each churchgoer with an inviting handshake. You could hear him from the back pew each time the sermon stirred his heart, too. “Amen, pastor. Preach it!” he’d say. He gave generously to every offering and served on every committee. That’s why, after missing church for four weeks in a row, his absence was obvious to all. Something wasn’t quite right.

Although the pastor wrote him letters, the back pew remained empty. Members of the church encouraged him to come back when they saw him in the grocery, but to no avail. “I’ll visit him at home. I’ve got an idea,” the pastor thought.

The minister was warmly welcomed inside after knocking on the door. The two exchanged pleasantries and then sat by the fireplace. “I’m sure you understand why I’m here,” the pastor added. “It’s not good for you to be absent from church.” The pastor then listened patiently as the man rattled off excuses for why he had missed church for so long.

The pastor then reached for the fire poker and pushed one of the coals away from the fireplace. Without saying a word, they both sat watching the coal slowly burn out. “Would you look at that?” asked the pastor. “The heat of the coal goes away if it’s not in the fireplace, surrounded by other hot coals.” The man’s eyes welled up with tears as he realized the object lesson: his spiritual fire was burning out because he had spent too much time away from church, the Christian’s fireplace.

This story has circulated for many years because it conveys a timely truth: Christians need the church to stay on fire for the Lord. We should gather each Sunday with other hot coals in the local church to rekindle our own flame for the Lord and His work. The kindling we need to stay on fire is available every Sunday: fellowship with the saints, preaching from the Bible, and the exercise of our spiritual gifts. The flame of our zeal for God will burn out if we are absent from the fireplace. The pouring rain of life’s trials and the strong wind of Satan’s temptations threaten to extinguish it, too.

The Lord commands us all to congregate with His people so that we can burn for Him rather than burn out: “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25, KJV). Are you a coal in the fireplace or a smoldering ember?

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, Sermons

The Place to Be | Bible Gleanings – November 6-7, 2021

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1,000 Places to See Before You Die, a New York Times bestseller written by Patricia Schultz, catalogues a thousand unforgettable places on God’s green earth that showcase the “best the world has to offer.”1 Her contention is that you should visit these breathtaking locations before you breathe your last. You should travel to these areas before your soul travels to eternity. Behold the giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park, she says. Admire the intricate architecture of India’s Taj Mahal. Tan your hide on the baking beaches of Fiji.

Schultz affirms an indisputable truth: our planet is magnificently beautiful and indescribably stunning. As Louis Armstrong would say, “And I think to myself, What a wonderful world.” She also confirms a popular misconception held by thousands of people: this world is all there is, so you better see it all before you die. Van Halen used to sing about it: “Whoa, you don’t have to die an’ go to heaven, or hang around to be born again; Just tune in to what this place has got to offer, ‘cause we may never be here again.” 

Frankly, I am more concerned about going to a better world when I die instead of seeing this whole world before I die. The Imperial Palace in Beijing is gorgeous, but it pales in comparison to the glorious mansions built in heaven for followers of Christ (John 14:2). Paris and Prague may be among the most elegant cities on earth, but they don’t compare to the eternal city, “whose designer and builder is God” (Heb. 11:10). New Zealand’s splendid landscapes are unimpressive compared to the New City that will one day come “down out of heaven from God” (Rev. 21:2). I don’t want to rendezvous among the most lovely countries on earth; I want to rest my soul in “a better country, that is, a heavenly one” (Heb. 11:16).

This world is not all there is. In fact, this old world is “passing away,” and it will one day be “burned up and dissolved” (1 John 2:17; 2 Peter 3:10). Heaven is the place you want to be when you die, my friend. But you will only get there if your name is on God’s “guest list,” the Lamb’s Book of Life (Rev. 21:27).

How can you see and enter this heavenly place? Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). You must be made new to enter the city where all things are made new. This happens when you repent of your sins and trust fully in Christ for your salvation. When you do that, you’ll have your ticket to glory on Zion’s heavenbound ship.

  1. Patricia Schultz. 1,000 Places to See Before You Die (New York: Workman Publishing Company, Inc., 2003).
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 Questions, devotions

When You Steal the Turkey | Bible Gleanings – Oct 30-31, 2021

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I could hear the plate being nudged and licked from the next room. Instantly, I knew who produced the eating noises because the suspect was a repeat offender. “Hey! Are you back on the counter again?!” Knowing she was caught red-handed, the guilty beagle hurried forward with her head bowed in shame. The little scalawag had swiped my entire turkey sandwich off the counter.

I have often wondered why she behaves this way. I understand the theft of my turkey club, but why does she always run to me in servility when she’s in trouble? Apparently, dogs do this as a sign of submission. According to zoological research, dogs will frequently lie down, lower their gaze, and bow with guilty eyes to convey, “I was wrong, and I am sorry.” Such humility is an innate habit that dates back to their wolf ancestors. They are demonstrating that they have transgressed the leader of the pack—you.

Mark that down as yet another reason why dogs are better than humans, because we do precisely the opposite when we steal the turkey. When we sin against God, our wicked instinct is to flee from Him rather than run to Him. We seldom ever confess our wrongdoing immediately after grasping something that God has purposely placed out of our reach.

We all suffer from “Jonah syndrome,” in which we strive to stay as far away from God as possible. If there’s a Tarshish-bound ship rowing away from His presence, we’ll pay the ticket and come aboard (Jonah 1:3). Such rebellion and resistance dates back to our human ancestors, Adam and Eve. When they sinned in the Garden, they made a hasty exit from the presence of the Lord: “And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8). 

However, the right response to transgressing God’s divine law ought to be submission to His authority and confession of wrongdoing. We ought to rush into God’s presence saying, “I was wrong, and I am sorry,” especially if we possess a new nature through faith in the “last Adam” (1 Cor. 15:45). When we “steal the turkey,” we ought to pray with King David:

“For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You may be justified in Your words and blameless in Your judgment” (Psalm 51:3-4).

Bible Gleanings is a weekend devotional column, written for the Murray Ledger & Times in Calloway County, Kentucky. In the event that the column is not posted online, it is be posted for reading here.
Brandon is the founder and main contributor to Brandon’s Desk, the blog with biblical resources from his ministry. He is proud to be the pastor of the family of believers at Locust Grove Baptist Church in Murray, Kentucky. He and his wife Dakota live there with their three dogs, Susie (Jack Russell), Aries (English shepherd), and Dot (beagle).

Bible Gleanings, devotions

Weeds Disguised as Flowers | Bible Gleanings – Oct 23-24, 2021

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A thicket of royal blue flowers caught my attention. The matte green leaves swayed in the breeze, calmly holding elegant azure petals with a tiny yellow stigma in the center. How had they gone unnoticed? They did, after all, blossom atop the mulch beside my porch. The foreign flowers must have been planted by the wind or a cardinal. 

“Dakota will think I planted these,” I reasoned. She will say that I’ve got a knack for flowers when she sees their splendor. “I need to figure out what these are so I know what to call them.” Unfortunately for me, the research destroyed my boasting. Although they had the appearance of lovely orchids, they were dayflower weeds—a nuisance! Dayflower weeds are pesky, invasive, nutrient-stealing gremlins that have no place in a flower bed. They sure fooled me. The reality is, some weeds look like flowers. 

One of Scripture’s most grim teachings is that many outwardly righteous people appear to be flowers—true believers. But they might be weeds disguised as flowers—unbelievers. Your outward appearance may be elegantly beautiful. You may draw everyone’s attention by your impressive good works. You may check every Christian box with a bold mark. And you may fool every passerby, but you will not fool the Lord God (Gal. 6:7a).

The staggering truth is that you are a weed waiting to be burned if you have never truly exercised repentance and faith toward Christ alone for salvation (Acts 17:30; Eph. 2:8-9). Jesus once spoke about this in Matthew 13:

“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn” (vv. 24-30).

Everyone’s true spiritual condition will be revealed on the Last Day when God reaps the field of the world. It is God’s job to do the reaping—not ours. Our job is to see that everyone becomes wheat by faith in Christ, so that they can be gathered into the barn of God’s kingdom. Until then, false believers may look like true believers. Weeds will grow among wheat, and weeds may imitate flowers.

Bible Gleanings is a weekend devotional column, written for the Murray Ledger & Times in Calloway County, Kentucky. In the event that the column is not posted online, it is be posted for reading here.
Brandon is the founder and main contributor to Brandon’s Desk, the blog with biblical resources from his ministry. He is proud to be the pastor of the family of believers at Locust Grove Baptist Church in Murray, Kentucky. He and his wife Dakota live there with their three dogs, Susie (Jack Russell), Aries (English shepherd), and Dot (beagle).

Bible Gleanings, devotions

The Return of the King | Bible Gleanings – Oct 16-17, 2021

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Atlanta’s traffic was unusually quiet. The hum of engines and hollers of expletives had simmered down. The once-thundering interstate was eerily tranquil. Except for a swarm of police motorcycles and SUVs, the southbound lane was barren. Seconds later, an army of black sedans and Suburbans with blacked-out windows trailed behind. Moreover, police were stationed at every exit, ramp, and overpass to ensure that no one could enter or exit the interstate. As Dakota and I drove home from a sunbaked Florida vacation, we were mystified by the absence of drivers and the presence of police.

Someone important must have been passing through to require an escort like that. After doing some research, I discovered that Vice President Mike Pence was headed for the airport after speaking at a rally in Atlanta—and we had just missed him. The Secret Service paused everything to protect him. Downtown Atlanta literally hit the brakes because of the presence of the world’s second most powerful man.

A day is coming when the sovereign King of the universe shall return in glory and judgment—and everyone on earth will slam their brakes at His glorious and terrifying presence. The normal traffic of everyday life will come to a halt (Matthew 24:36-44). An army of angels will be His heavenly escort (Matthew 24:31; 2 Thessalonians 1:7). There will be no road of escape (1 Thessalonians 5:1-3). It will not, however, be eerily quiet, as there will be both joyous shouting and horrific screaming (Revelation 1:7). And when this King returns, it will not be a brief visit to one city, but a final visit to earth to judge the wicked, reward the righteous, wage war on Satan, and dissolve our cosmos to make way for a new one (Hebrews 9:28; 2 Peter 3:1-13; Revelation 20:7-10).

Do a little research in the Book—this is what it will tell you:

“When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, [he will inflict] vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed” (2 Thessalonians 1:7b-10).

Only God knows when this day will come, and no one is allowed to see His calendar. Therefore, prepare yourself now by embracing this King as your only Savior and Lord. As the psalmist graciously counseled, “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him” (Psalm 2:12).

Bible Gleanings is a weekend devotional column, written for the Murray Ledger & Times in Calloway County, Kentucky. In the event that the column is not posted online, it is be posted for reading here.
Brandon is the founder and main contributor to Brandon’s Desk, the blog with biblical resources from his ministry. He is proud to be the pastor of the family of believers at Locust Grove Baptist Church in Murray, Kentucky. He and his wife Dakota live there with their three dogs, Susie (Jack Russell), Aries (English shepherd), and Dot (beagle).

Bible Gleanings, devotions

Pardon Me | Bible Gleanings – Oct 9-10, 2021

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Proper punctuation saves lives—just ask Maria Fedorovna. She was the wife of one of Russia’s vilest emperors, Alexander III (1845–1894). He ruled as Tsar of Russia in the late 1800s, centralizing power, castigating Jews, and condemning Western ideals. Maria, on the other hand, was sympathetic and sensitive, proving the old idiom that opposites attract. According to legend, Alexander signed an executive order deporting an alleged traitor to exile. The order simply read, “Pardon impossible, to be sent away to Siberia.” Maria, driven by kindness, moved the comma, making the order read, “Pardon, impossible to be sent away to Siberia.” The charges were dismissed, and the man was released, all because of a change in punctuation.

All who are justified by faith in Christ have experienced the same thing (Romans 3:21-28; Gal. 2:16). If you are saved by grace through faith, God moved the comma for you (Eph. 2:8-9). The Judge of all sinners has pardoned those whose hope is in Christ alone. The divine dictum for your trespasses once read, “Pardon impossible, to be sent away to eternal destruction” (Matthew 25:46; 2 Thess. 1:7). Because of Christ, it now reads, “Pardon, impossible to be sent away to eternal destruction” (John 5:24; 10:28; Jude 1:24).

As a matter of fact, the penal prescript for your punishment has been completely scrapped. As Paul said,

“[God has] forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross” (Col. 2:14-15).

Your hell-sentence was not commuted, as if it were shortened or lessened; instead, it was obliterated. You will never be exiled from the presence of God. You will never spend even a minute paying for your sins in hell.

“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:7).

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

Building and Building On | Bible Gleanings – Oct 2-3, 2021

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“It’s about time you showed up!” Jordan was already hard at work when I arrived at the jobsite. He asked for a helping hand earlier that day on the way to lunch. “Why don’t you come by after school and help me build my garage?” I obliged and drove over in my 1995 Thunderbird. When I pulled into the driveway, I was surprised to see a garage nearly finished. The bulk of the work had already been done; all I did was put the finishing touch on a project he had been working on for weeks.

Whether you are preaching the gospel to the lost or encouraging someone to walk closer with the Lord, remember this: God is always at work long before you get there. God often uses you to finish a job He’s been working on for weeks, years, or even decades. Many times, you are merely building on a foundation God has already laid through the work of other believers. As Paul said, “What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth” (1 Cor. 3:5-7).

Who knows how many sermons your neighbor has heard before you arrive at the doorstep? Who knows how many gospel testimonies your coworker has heard before you share yours? Who knows how many prayers have been uttered for a lost soul before you pray for them? Who knows how deeply God has tilled the fallow ground of a sinner’s heart before you sow the gospel seed?

Maybe your neighbor needs to hear the gospel one more time. Maybe your friend needs to hear one more testimony. Perhaps your relative needs just one more earnest prayer. Your witness, encouraging words, or prayers could be the final drop of water necessary for the gospel seed to germinate in a sinner’s soul. You might be laying a foundation for someone else, but you might be finishing it off, too. 

Philip the evangelist would agree. Multitudes were saved when he preached the gospel in Samaria (Acts 8:5-13), and his success was largely due to the fact that he built on a foundation Christ already laid when He visited Samaria. The Samaritan leper who fell at Jesus’ feet was on his feet spreading the gospel before Philip showed up (Luke 17:16). Likewise, the Samaritan woman testified about Jesus long before Philip arrived (John 4:39). Philip simply poured water on thousands of gospel seeds that had already been sown.

Friend, never pass up an opportunity to share the gospel or encourage someone to mature in the faith. You are always laying a foundation or building on one. You are always planting the seed or watering it.

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

Forget the Receipt | Bible Gleanings – Sept 25-26, 2021

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The burgundy shorts didn’t fit my style or my waist. What was I thinking wearing burgundy shorts anyway? Was I trying to look like I had been dipped in strawberry preserves? I located the receipt and returned them for a refund. Receipts are a godsend.

Those proof-of-purchase paper slips have been around for approximately 5,000 years. But they’re not just for proving a sale; they are also a security document, assuring that if you don’t like a product, you can always return it. No sale is final—you can return anything for a full refund if you keep the receipt. You can effectively undo a monetary transaction and relinquish ownership of something you previously purchased.

You may do this with a defective toaster, a faulty iPhone, or a pair of unsightly shorts; but God won’t do it with you. God doesn’t keep a receipt for your soul. He isn’t going to return you for a refund because you are broken, flawed, and inadequate. He will not renounce ownership of your soul. He will keep you forever—not because you are great, but because the price paid for you was great. As Peter rightly stated, “For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God” (1 Peter 1:18-19, NLT). 

God owns you if you know Christ as your Lord and Savior. “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19b-20). You are His possession: “[He] gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14). And His purchase of your salvation on Calvary was final: “He [Jesus] entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12).

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).

Bible Gleanings, devotions

The Grime of Sin | Bible Gleanings – Sept 18-19, 2021

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The sidewalk was caked in stubbly greenish lichen. Decades of black algae enveloped each concrete step. My pressure washer was up to snuff, and the icky gunk peeled off without a fight. Sandy white steps now sat beside grimy ones, and a friend remarked, “I didn’t realize how nasty they were until now!” The muck didn’t seem so bad when all the steps were buried in grime. The depth of the filth was only evident when compared to the speckless and sparkling steps beside them.

We don’t seem all that bad when compared to supposedly more wretched sinners. Our grimy sins don’t seem that horrible measured against the unfathomable sins committed by others who appear to be more depraved than we are. None of us have mass-murdered millions of people the way Hitler, Stalin, or Mussolini did. Who among us has a gangster or drug-trafficking background like Al Capone or Pablo Escobar? Who among us, like Jim Jones or Charles Manson, has formed a cult?

However, such worthless comparisons will only deceive. The truth is that we are all buried in the vile muck of evil. We are sin-aholics—slaves of darkness who can’t seem to get enough of it. We are darkness-lovers and light-haters; rotten to the core and contaminated by sin’s putridity (John 3:19; Psalm 14:1-3; Romans 1:18-31; 2:1; 3:10-18, 23). And we can only grasp the seriousness of our sinfulness when we compare ourselves to the sinless and spotless Savior, Jesus Christ.

The depth of our depravity becomes apparent when we measure ourselves against the untainted righteousness of the Lord Jesus. Our garments are soiled—His robes are white without a speck (Isaiah 64:6). We have the scarlet stain of sin on our hands—He is wholly unstained (Isaiah 1:15; 59:3). Our eyes are fixed on evil—His are immaculately pure (Habakkuk 1:13). We are enchanted by sin’s darkness, but, “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).

Fortunately for you and me, Christ is up to the task—He will thoroughly wash us of sin’s sludge. His blood erases the stain of evil (1 John 1:7). His Spirit detoxifies us from the filth of sin (Titus 3:5). His grace scrubs the guilt of our wickedness away (Jeremiah 33:8).

Therefore, come in repentance and faith to Jesus Christ—just as you are—begrimed and bedraggled by the mire of sin. Turn away from the foul path of spiritual filth toward Jesus, believing that His blood can wash you. When you do, God says to you, “You will walk with Me in white!” (Revelation 3:4).

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

Nothing But Wax | Bible Gleanings – Sept 4-5, 2021

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I stood beside Jackie Chan. I took a selfie with Nicholas Cage. I was in a room with Adam Sandler, Angelina Jolie, and all the big-name celebrities. They had all assembled at the Hollywood Wax Museum in Pigeon Forge. They had, in fact, been assembled by professional wax artists who shaped and fashioned them to appear as real people.

It’s remarkable how much they look like real actors. However, they are dead despite the fact that they appear to be alive. They’re made of wax, not flesh. They are devoid of a beating heart and a rational mind. Sometimes, what appears to be alive may actually be dead.

It’s a pity, but when we are born into this world, we are nothing more than empty wax figures without spiritual life. Although we look to be lively, we are spiritually dead on the inside. We are spiritually deceased, unable to walk in obedience (Rom. 8:7), and incapable of seeing or hearing the truth (John 8:43; 1 Cor. 2:14; 2 Cor. 4:4). That is why Paul wrote, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins, in which you once walked” (Eph. 2:1-2a). That is also why Jesus commanded, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

It makes no difference how well-sculpted and painted you are on the outside. You are lifeless wax if you have not been born again by faith in Jesus Christ. You might be suitable for a museum, but you will melt before the scorching heat of God’s judgment. “As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away; as wax melts before fire, so the wicked shall perish before God!” (Psalm 68:2).

You will never be able to fashion and mold yourself into a righteous person. You will never be good enough to be accepted in God’s sight. You must come to the One who is good enough, whose finished work on Calvary is already accepted in God’s sight. Come to Jesus in repentance and faith, and He will make you new. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor. 5:17).

Bible Gleanings is a weekend devotional column, written for the Murray Ledger & Times in Calloway County, Kentucky. In the event that the column is not posted online, it is be posted for reading here.
Brandon is the founder and main contributor to Brandon’s Desk, the blog with biblical resources from his ministry. He is proud to be the pastor of the family of believers at Locust Grove Baptist Church in Murray, Kentucky. He and his wife Dakota live there with their three dogs, Susie (Jack Russell), Aries (English shepherd), and Dot (beagle).