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Bible Gleanings, devotions

You Are Barabbas | Bible Gleanings | February 8-9, 2025

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The mob multiplied into a multitude, and their enraged voices grew hoarse from shouting. They demanded that justice be served to this alleged blasphemer and revolutionary. Nothing less than the maximum penalty under the law would satisfy them. However, the governor failed to find sufficient evidence to exact such a swift and severe punishment. Therefore, he turned justice over to the mob and, bringing out an actual convicted felon, he gave them a choice: punish one man and let the other go.

“Whom do you want me to release for you,” asked the governor, Pilate. “Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” (Matt. 27:17). These two prisoners stood before him. One had a bruised and battered face from the prior night’s abuse, while the other smiled with a menacing grin of rebellion. One was wrongly accused of blasphemy and spoke not a word in His defense, while the other was justly found guilty of murder and leading violent uprisings. One Man remained strangely calm, while the other shifted around impatiently, hoping to be released.

The choice was in the hands of the crowd: either release an innocent Christ and re-chain a murderous Barabbas, or release Barabbas and put Jesus to death. Suddenly, a single voice rang out, joined by hundreds of others: “Not this man, but Barabbas!” (John 18:40b). Pilate tried one last time to persuade them otherwise, rightly asking, “Why? What evil has he done?” (Mark 15:14a). But the crowd erupted like waves crashing on the shore: “But they shouted all the more, “Crucify him.” So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified” (Mark 15:14b-15).

Thus, Christ’s punishment ensured Barabbas’ freedom. The unfair treatment of the Lord Jesus may produce heartache and perhaps even anger, but it should result most of all in humbling self-abasement, considering that we are Barabbas. Who we are in this story is clear. Sinners are guilty and the Son is righteous. Sinners deserve to die and Christ deserved to live.

And yet, because of the great love with which Christ loved us, He traded places with Barabbases like us. The guiltless Christ took on our guilt. The spotless Lamb of God became marred by the filth of our sin. The righteous Jesus became unrighteous in our place. It was just as the prophet Isaiah predicted: “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:4-5).

The devotional column above is from my newest book, 40 Days with Jesus, which is a forty-day daily devotional focusing on the life, teachings, and miracles of Jesus. This book is available in hardcover and paperback on Amazon:

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, devotions, Sermons

The Foot-Washer | Bible Gleanings | February 1-2, 2025

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Confusion permeated the room. The air was heavy with a sense of mystery. This particular evening just felt different. Jesus stood up from the table, wrapped a towel around His waist, and poured water into a basin without saying a word. And puzzled glances were on every face as the Creator stooped low to wash the dirty feet of His disciples as a slave-servant.

The Lord washed His followers’ feet with carpentry-calloused hands, and then He got to Peter, who naturally objected to the notion of His Savior bringing shame upon Himself by performing the task of a slave. He protested, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” (John 13:6b, emphasis mine). What was Jesus doing? Did He consume too much wine? Had someone stolen Jesus’ identity to impersonate Him and make Him a laughing stock?

Suddenly, Christ broke the silence, explaining why He had stooped to such a low level, although He was the Lord of glory: “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you” (John 13:14-15). The Savior demonstrated supreme humility, doing what only slaves did, in order to give all of His disciples a model of others-focused service to follow. Jesus was essentially saying, “Do for each other what I’ve done for you: serve like a slave.”

This is specifically what Paul the apostle meant when he commanded all Christians, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:3-5).

According to Paul, if the exalted Christ temporarily set aside His divine rights and glory for the salvation of unworthy sinners, then believers can certainly put the needs of others before their own. And if Jesus washed the feet of sinners, then His saints can surely wash each other’s feet through burden-bearing, need-meeting, prayer-uplifting, encouragement-giving, reproof-issuing, and any form of loving service that puts others first.

The devotional column above is from my newest book, 40 Days with Jesus, which is a forty-day daily devotional focusing on the life, teachings, and miracles of Jesus. This book is available in hardcover and paperback on Amazon:

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, devotions

The Good Shepherd | Bible Gleanings | January 25-26, 2025

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If Mike Rowe’s Dirty Jobs had been filmed in ancient times, the tough and time-consuming job of shepherding would have certainly gotten its own episode. Every day, all day, they were herding sheep and preventing them from getting separated from each other. Sheep also had to eat, and since they weren’t hunters or predatory, shepherds had to find and furnish food for their flocks. Shepherds were also tasked with warding off hungry predators that prowled the area, as sheep could not defend themselves against such dangers. Sheep are also incredibly naive and dangerously curious, making it perplexing that, “Curiosity kills the cat,” is a more popular saying than, “Curiosity has killed many sheep”! Thus, a shepherd’s hardest assignment was leading the stubborn flock.

And this is the job Jesus willingly signed up for as the Good Shepherd. Christ tends to His own sheep through leading and feeding, just like earthly shepherds. But unlike human shepherds, Jesus leads His flock all the days of their life, both beside tranquil waters and dark valleys (Psalm 23:2b-4). Moreover, He feeds His sheep with the green pasture of His nourishing and sanctifying word (Psalm 23:1-2; Matt. 4:4; John 17:17; 1 Peter 2:1;). And without this soul-nurturing food, the Lord’s sheep will collapse from deprivation while climbing life’s hills and valleys.

Furthermore, while most earthly shepherds are unable to distinguish one sheep from another, the Good Shepherd knows all of His sheep by name and everything there is to know about them: “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me” (John 10:14). None of the Lord’s sheep blend into the fold, resulting in being forgotten. Rather, every member of His flock is known, loved, and cared for, as though they were the only one.

The Good Shepherd is also superior to human shepherds because He will never lose one sheep among His fold. He promised, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27-28). Nothing can ever sever or separate you from the Lord’s flock. But most of all, Jesus is greater than earthly shepherds because He was willing to die for His sheep: “and I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:15b). The Good Shepherd died as a spotless Lamb to obtain the flock of God with His own blood (Acts 20:28).

The devotional column above is from my newest book, 40 Days with Jesus, which is a forty-day daily devotional focusing on the life, teachings, and miracles of Jesus. This book is available in hardcover and paperback on Amazon:

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, devotions

Look at the Birds | Bible Gleanings | January 18-19, 2025

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The man was married to a woman who was a worry-wart. All of her daily exercise came from pacing the floor and wringing her hands. Unfortunately, the health benefits from wearing a hole in the carpet were diminished by her inner turmoil of anxiety. And one day, her frustrated husband flat-out asked her, “Dear, why are you always worrying when it doesn’t do any good?” In a flash, she shot back: “Oh yes it does! Ninety percent of the things I worry about never happen.”

Oftentimes, what we worry about never even happens. And, according to Christ’s teaching about anxiety, we typically worry about tomorrow’s food or fate (cf. Matt. 6:34). We often fret over our futures and become overly concerned about how our needs will be supplied. And to conquer worry, Jesus did not teach us to retreat from life like hermits or fill our medicine cabinets with prescriptions. Instead, and remarkably, Jesus told us to look at the birds.

Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life . . . Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matt. 6:25a, 26).

Think about what birds do. They clock in early looking for food—there’s a reason they say, “the early bird gets the worm.” And they work hard for their meals. You’ve probably seen them pecking the ground and gathering worms to bring back for their young to eat. Not to mention, they constantly fly around collecting branches and bristles to build and maintain their nests. And at nightfall, most birds sleep until they repeat the process the next day.

Now, think about what birds don’t do. They don’t worry or even store food for the future. And yet, their food-needs are always provided for. This is because, in the order of creation, God has ordained that they get their food through natural processes. Feeding the birds of the air is on God’s to-do list.

And the point of Jesus’ teaching is this: if God cares for the least of all His creation, then He will certainly care for the greatest of His creation—you. God cares for birds—the least significant creature in all of creation—so you can rest assured that He cares for you, the most significant creature He ever made. If He never forgets to feed robins, cardinals, and blackbirds, then He isn’t going to forget to feed you. That is why there is no reason to worry. The deep and personal level of God’s care for you diminishes worrying about your life, your future, or anything else. 

The devotional column above is from my newest book, 40 Days with Jesus, which is a forty-day daily devotional focusing on the life, teachings, and miracles of Jesus. This book is available in hardcover and paperback on Amazon:

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, devotions

Forgetfulness of Faithfulness | Bible Gleanings | January 11-12, 2025

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The last thing you want to forget on a long road trip are snacks. Thankfully for modern travelers, there is a FiveStar or Casey’s off every exit, stocked with enough candy to make Willy Wonka’s teeth ache, and enough greasy food to rival a McDonald’s fryer. For ancient travelers, however, heading out with an empty knapsack wasn’t just inconvenient—it could quickly turn deadly. And the disciples made this mistake when they set sail on the sea (Matt. 16:5, 7-8). They searched for a loaf of bread while they rowed, and when none was found, they panicked and, “they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread” (Mark 8:16).

One could sympathize with their fretting if they were traveling solo, but they weren’t alone. Jesus was on board with them, and He had recently fed over 10,000 people with—you guessed it—bread (cf. Matt. 14:13-21; 15:29-39). The disciples had something better than Panera Bread or Texas Roadhouse—the greatest bread Multiplier who ever lived was right beside them! Why, therefore, were they concerned about their next meal? According to Jesus, the reason for their fear was multifaceted: their memories were short, their faith was faint, and their eyes were closed.

Jesus explained their unfounded worry with a series of questions: “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” (Mark 8:17b-19a).

We may never find ourselves breadless in a boat, but there is no shortage of situations that blind us from seeing our blessings. The disciples weren’t the only ones forgetful of Christ’s miraculous workings of the past. Sometimes, we are forgetful of yesterday’s provision and yesteryear’s mighty wonders, and our present problems often seem bigger than the Lord’s power and providence. Oftentimes, the sight of our needs eclipses our sight of the Need-Meeter, who is always right beside us. Just like the disciples, we often have short memories and small faith.

Fortunately, Jesus is patient with forgetful and faithless disciples like us. However, when we fret about having no bread, we need to inquire of our souls: “Do you not see or remember?” Allow His past provision to fuel your faith in the present. Keep your eyes of faith open to see His constant providential workings in your life. Look back at Christ’s faithfulness in the past and look around at His faithful provision in the present.

The devotional column above is from my newest book, 40 Days with Jesus, which is a forty-day daily devotional focusing on the life, teachings, and miracles of Jesus. This book is available in hardcover on Amazon:

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, devotions

The Personal Jesus | Bible Gleanings | January 4-5, 2025

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He had to get away from it all. Despite the endless films and paintings depicting Jesus as welcoming throngs and hordes with open arms, there were many times when Jesus pulled back (Mark 3:9; 7:24; Luke 5:15-16; John 6:15). However, such retreating certainly appears to be counterproductive to the development of an earthly ministry, don’t you think? After all, if you want to build a support base, wouldn’t you want to gain a larger following and increase the size and scope of your ministry?

Needless to say, establishing a large following and building a big ministry is not why Jesus came into the world—He came for needy sinners. And His continual withdrawal from the crowds doesn’t mean He outright despised them—rather, it demonstrates His preference to minister to people one-on-one. Jesus sought to know people on a name-and-need basis—He didn’t care about filling stadiums or boasting of great numbers. Jesus always prioritized intimate interactions over large-scale miracles, superficial popularity, or mass appeal. His mission was to seek and save the lost through personal encounters.

Jesus deliberately traveled through Samaria in order to minister to the Samaritan Woman and bring her the good news of salvation (John 4:1-26). Rather than making him a spectacle, Christ took the deaf man by the hand and led him away from the crowds—and He restored his speech and hearing in private (Mark 7:31-37). Jesus healed the blind man from Bethsaida away from prying eyes by leading him outside of the town (Mark 8:22-26). Amidst a multitude of invalids at Bethesda’s pool, Christ set His sights on only one man who had been crippled for thirty-eight years, and He healed him (John 5:1-15). And Jesus singled out little Zaccheus, who climbed a sycamore tree to view Him because of the crowd size—and Jesus focused on him instead of the masses (Luke 19:1-10).

Any of the individuals whom Christ healed and ministered to would tell you that you are more than just a name and face to Jesus. He loves you and cares about you as an individual. If He didn’t, He wouldn’t be keeping up with the number of hairs on your head (Matt. 10:30). Moreover, if God keeps track of the death of sparrows, then He certainly keeps track of the needs of His saints (Luke 12:6-7). The Lord even cares for you as though you were His only child: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me” (Isaiah 49:15-16).

The devotional column above is from my newest book, 40 Days with Jesus, which is a forty-day daily devotional focusing on the life, teachings, and miracles of Jesus. This book is available in hardcover on Amazon:

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, devotions

The Friend of Sinners | Bible Gleanings | December 28-29, 2024

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Blasphemer. Drunkard. Glutton. Servant of Satan. King of the Jews. The negative nicknames hurled at Jesus during His earthly ministry dripped with scorn. But one rose above the rest—a name intended as an insult, but embraced by the Savior who came for sinners: “a friend of tax collectors and sinners!” (Matt. 11:19b).

Jesus shared supper with social outcasts, misfits, and rejects on multiple occasions. Once, after answering the call to follow Jesus, Matthew (also called Levi) held a banquet for His Lord and invited all kinds of sinful folk (Luke 5:29). Reclining at the dinner table were gamblers, moneylenders, thieves, prostitutes, and the worst of them all: tax collectors. “Has He lost His mind?” the scribes and Pharisees must have wondered. After all, this was not the best approach for gaining street credibility for a newly-launched ministry. Dining with such detestable delinquents would actually destroy His ministry—that is, if His ministry was focused on numbers and fame instead of sinners who need grace and mercy.

Therefore, the religious leaders questioned, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” (Luke 5:30b). Ask and you shall receive, and they received quite an answer, as Jesus wisely responded, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:31-32). In other words, Jesus was saying, “The kind of people you criticize and despise—I came for them. The people that make you shriek in your phony piety—I came for them. The people you believe the world would be a better place without—I came for them.” Jesus came to seek and save the sin-sick, not the self-righteous.

The lesson Jesus taught by eating with evil people is that all sinners are invited to His table. And if you consider yourself to be one, there is good news: Jesus welcomes you to His table of salvation, where you may feast on the blessings of redemption freely. He has saved a seat for every repentant sinner, especially “the poor, the crippled, the lame, [and] the blind” (Luke 14:13). The banquet of everlasting life is not for great saints—it is reserved for great sinners who recognize Christ as a great Savior. Jesus is a Friend and Savior to those who see themselves as God’s enemies in need of salvation, not those who falsely presume that they are on “good terms” with God and do not need saving.

The devotional column above is taken from my newest book, 40 Days with Jesus, which is a forty-day daily devotional focusing on the life, teachings, and miracles of Jesus. This book is available in hardcover on Amazon:

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings

Better Than Santa | Bible Gleanings for Advent | December 14-15, 2024

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Santa Claus is slightly judgmental. He only brings presents to good boys and girls. Those who misbehave are on the naughty list and will receive only coal in their stockings. As J. Frederick Coots and Haven Gillespie wrote in Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town: “He’s making a list, he’s checking it twice, he’s gonna find out who’s naughty or nice.” Only youngsters most deserving of gifts can expect to find presents underneath the tree.

Jesus is the polar opposite of Santa: He gives the greatest gift to those who are the least deserving. He came to grant salvation and eternal life to evil people, not good people. As He Himself said, “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). Furthermore, He came to erase your name from the “naughty list” and write it in His book, the “Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27). 

The fact that shepherds were the first to hear the good news of Jesus’ birth embodies Christ’s mission to save the undeserving (Luke 2:8-13). The glad tidings were announced by the exalted angels of heaven, not to kings or emperors, but to some of the most insignificant people in Judean society. Shepherds were thought to be insignificant and contemptible. Jews considered them to be unclean, deceitful, and uneducated. Nonetheless, they were the first to hear the wonderful news that the Savior had been born.

And the Gospels reinforce the idea that Jesus came for the low-ranking people of the world. The first disciples were fishermen. Jesus healed social outcasts: lepers, paralytics, and the demon-possessed. He ate with tax collectors and sinners. He cared for widows and the sexually immoral. There is no question about it—Jesus came to save the least qualified.

You do not have to be outstandingly competent to receive His gift of eternal life. The Lord Jesus will grant salvation to you, no matter who you are or what you have done. Eternal life can be yours even if you are sexually immoral, idolatrous, adulterous, greedy, or addicted (1 Cor. 6:9-11). Jesus is the significant Savior who came for insignificant people. That’s another reason why Jesus is better than Santa.

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, devotions

Let It Snow | Bible Gleanings for Advent | December 7-8, 2024

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Nothing is more enchanting than waking up to a blanket of snow covering the neighborhood on Christmas morning. Nearly everyone dreams of a white Christmas because snow makes it feel like Christmas. Without snow, there are no snowmen, snowball fights, or “dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh.” Christmas and snow go together like hot cocoa and marshmallows. 

Snow is also a biblical symbol for righteousness and purity. Snow was the purest form of white to the Jews—nothing was as perfect and pure. Not to mention, the fluffy flakes covered the filth and dirt of the earth. It is no wonder that people in Scripture sought to be as pure as snow, such as David, who prayed, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7). The prophet Daniel also used this imagery to describe God who is uncompromisingly pure and holy: “As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow” (Daniel 7:9a).

The Lord reminded His people in Isaiah 1:18 that they were not as white as snow: “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” Their sins were like “scarlet,” which is as red as red can be. They were stained, and the sin that colored their lives needed to be washed away. And God promised that they could be made white like snow if they turned to Him in repentance (cf. vv. 19-20). Despite being engulfed in sin’s filth, they could be snow-white by the Lord’s thorough washing. 

You also need the Lord to cleanse you of sin. Paradoxically, the blood of Jesus Christ is the only sufficient means of being purified from sin’s crimson stain. As John the apostle said, “The blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7b). His death makes you whiter than snow in the sight of God because He clothed Himself in the filthy rags of your sin and, in exchange, gives you the white robes of His righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21). You receive this cleansing when you repent of your sins and trust completely in Christ alone for your salvation (Acts 17:30; Ephesians 2:8-9). 

Unfortunately, sin will still make you muddy every now and then. And Jesus will continue to wash you when it does. That is why, whenever you sin, you must plead the words of James Nicholson’s hymn, “Whiter Than Snow”: 

“Lord Jesus, for this I most humbly entreat,

I wait, blessed Lord, at Thy crucified feet;

By faith, for my cleansing I see Thy blood flow,

Now wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.”

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, christmas, devotions

Miracles in the Mundane | Bible Gleanings for Advent | November 30-December 1, 2024

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Miracle on 34th Street is a classic Christmas film that families have cherished since its premiere in 1947. “Kris Kringle,” a kind-hearted elderly man, is hired to play Santa Claus by the local Macy’s, and he gradually persuades New Yorkers that he is the real Santa Claus. At first, little Susie is reluctant to believe in Santa Claus because her mother raised her not to. “You’re just a nice old man with whiskers, like my mother said. And I shouldn’t have believed you,” Susie contended, believing the department store Santa to be a fraud.

But after Kris Kringle proves himself to be the embodiment of Santa Claus, even her mother eventually admits, “I was wrong when I told you that, Susie. Faith is believing in things when common sense tells you not to.” And, ordinary New Yorkers learned that there is nothing wrong with believing in extraordinary things—they might even be right in front of your eyes.

Mary and Joseph eventually understood this, too. Everything appeared normal as they traveled to Bethlehem to pay taxes for the census (Luke 2:1-3). It was an ordinary trip to an ordinary place to conduct ordinary business. However, God was accomplishing something extraordinary right before their eyes. By His providence, the Lord used an ordinary decree to bring them to Bethlehem, the prophesied birthplace of the Messiah.

The prophet Micah foretold that the Christ would be born there: “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days (Micah 5:2). Micah’s prophecy was in jeopardy, however, because Mary was on the verge of childbirth in Nazareth—not Bethlehem (Luke 2:4). Thus, to fulfill this critical prophecy, God stirred in Caesar’s heart to issue a census requiring Jews to return to their homeland to pay taxes. And Joseph’s hometown just so happened to be Bethlehem. In accordance with biblical prophecy, Mary’s water broke when they arrived at Bethlehem’s gates: “And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7). 

God has a way of using ordinary people and events for extraordinary purposes. He often works miracles in the mundane. He will use whatever it takes to fulfill His perfect plan—even things that are completely normal. God is active in the ordinary things of your life, too. Do not underestimate what He may do in the day-to-day happenings that appear humdrum.

As John Piper said, “God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them.”  Who knows what He might do through the ordinary things in your life? Have faith in His providence—even if common sense tells you not to.

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, and their three dogs. Brandon and Dakota previously served as foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and his Bible Gleanings columns are featured in over sixteen publications throughout Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee, and Indiana. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention, and an editor at Reforming the Heart.