Tag Archives: puritan

Bible Gleanings, devotions

The Mind’s Junk Drawer | Bible Gleanings | November 29-30, 2025

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It taunted me with its rumbling voice. When I walked past it, it assaulted my self-esteem. The clutter-filled junk drawer in our house plagued me every time I opened it—until one day, I couldn’t take it anymore. I kicked into high gear and got it looking spick and span. The battle against the unsightly mess was won, but the war was far from over.

Only a week later, its oppression returned with a vengeance. The drawer overflowed again with loose change, screws, pens, and other I-don’t-know-where-these-go things. And that’s when it hit me—I discovered a cleaning hack that revolutionized my life. Namely, the difference between cleanliness and chaos boils down to what you allow to stay. The drawer must either be completely empty or filled with what belongs, so that what doesn’t can be thrown away.

A lightbulb went off in my head, and this reminded me of what happens inside my head and yours. Our minds can quickly become junk drawers—filled with cluttering thoughts that do not belong, which breeds spiritual chaos in our lives. The problem is, you can empty a drawer but you cannot empty your mind. You are always thinking about something. The remedy, therefore, is not to flush the mind, but to fill the mind with what belongs so that what doesn’t has nowhere to stay.

This is the mental master program Paul gave us in Philippians 4:8:

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

When you fill the drawer of your mind with godly thoughts, then ungodly thoughts have a harder time sticking around. But often, we must clear out the junk before we can fill our minds with sanctifying thoughts. Thus, Paul also taught that the way to eradicate “deceitful desires” is “to be renewed in the spirit of your minds” (Eph. 4:32).

We must “take every thought captive” to Christ, grabbing hold of wicked thoughts, and throwing them out (2 Cor. 10:5; cf. Jer. 4:14; Isa. 55:7). The Puritan Thomas Brooks once compared evil thoughts to unwelcome hotel guests, and counseled, “And like unruly philanderers and rakish revelers, they lodge and party day and night, defiling the rooms they lodge in with their loathsome filth and vomit. These vain, unruly guests must be kicked out the door without any warning or delay.”1

Certainly, a messy junk drawer doesn’t ruin the whole house, but a spiritually cluttered mind will ruin your whole life. Few things are more exigent than getting control of our thought lives, for “as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7). And just as there is peaceful pleasure when opening a clean drawer, the Scripture promises peace to those whose minds are clean: “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you” (Isaiah 26:3a).

  1. Brooks, Thomas. The Vanity of Thoughts (Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, 2024), 1-2.

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, and their three dogs, Susie, Aries, and Dot. Brandon and Dakota are also foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and a religious columnist for the Advance Yeoman newspaper in Ballard County, Kentucky. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. His columns are also featured in the Times-Argus newspaper of Central City, Kentucky, West Kentucky News of western Kentucky, and the online blog, Reforming the Heart.

Bible Gleanings, devotions

The Snare of Spiritual Slumber | Bible Gleanings | November 2-3, 2024

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Exhausted from battle, Sisera catnapped beneath a rug, believing he was safe from danger—and he awoke with a tent peg lodged in his head (Jud. 4:17-21). Samson slept in Delilah’s arms without a care in the world, and she shaved his locks, sapping him of strength (Jud. 16:19). David swiped Saul’s spear while he obliviously slumbered on the ground (1 Sam. 26:12). When there is danger afoot, you cannot afford to carelessly fall asleep—you might wake up hairless, weaponless, or even dead. That is why Paul the apostle admonished all Christians to, “Be on the alert” (1 Cor. 16:13a, NASB).

Believers must be wide-awake, wary, and watchful for spiritual danger. Disciples of the Lord must keep their eyes peeled for spiritual danger lest they become blindsided. Soldiers in Christ’s army must keep their ears to the ground for spiritual threats so that they don’t end up on the ground in defeat. Saints must stay on their toes so that their feet will not slip into temptation. Victory in spiritual warfare requires vigilance, but sleeping on the job results in vulnerability and being vanquished.

And the threats believers should watch out for are the Tempter and temptation. Peter exhorted believers in 1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” If you are a believer, you must stay sharp because Satan is always stalking you. Similarly, Jesus commanded Christians: “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt. 26:41). As a believer, your only defense against temptation is keeping your eyes peeled for the things which seduce you, and keeping your eyes on the Lord in prayer.

The Scripture tells us that the threats presented by Satan and posed by our own flesh are so cunning and crafty that we must watch for spiritual danger even while we pray. As Paul said in Colossians 4:2, “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.” Thus, like a soldier during the night-watch, we must stay awake and remain aware of Satan’s illusions and inducements, and our own fleshly inclinations to wander into wickedness. We must watch our surroundings and watch our souls. We must look around for the devil’s deceptions and look within, diligently watching our hearts which are prone to many seductions and lusts.

It is when we get caught napping that we fall into trouble. The great Puritan, William Gurnall, who wrote an impressive volume on spiritual warfare, said as much when he warned,

“The saint’s sleeping time is Satan’s tempting time; every fly dares venture to creep on a sleeping lion. Thus, the Christian asleep in security may soon be surprised so as to lose much of his spiritual strength.”

Sin and Satan never sleep, so neither can we.

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, and their three dogs, Susie, Aries, and Dot. Brandon and Dakota are also foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and a religious columnist for the Advance Yeoman newspaper in Ballard County, Kentucky. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. His columns are also featured in the Times-Argus newspaper of Central City, Kentucky, West Kentucky News of western Kentucky, and the online blog, Reforming the Heart.

Pick up a copy of Brandon’s latest book, Fundamentals for the Faithful, which explains the importance of all the basics which every believer should know:

Bible Gleanings, devotions

The Lord Who Is Near | Bible Gleanings | September 7-8, 2024

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“I started crying because I knew I would never talk to him again,” the rising celebrity comedian confessed. He was referring to “friendship ghosting,” which is when a friend abruptly stops communicating with you. Unfortunately, those who make it big in Hollywood sometimes allow their egos to inflate so that there’s no room for the people they were friends with before they became hotshots. When a person reaches the top of society’s totem pole, they tend to forget about those on the bottom, including close companions and relatives who helped them in pursuing their dreams. Many famous and successful people become like the chief cupbearer, who forgot about poor Joseph in prison once his position in Pharaoh’s court was restored (Gen. 40:21-23).

Incredibly, this is not the case when it comes to the One who has been crowned King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 19:16)! Although the Lord Jesus has been elevated and exalted to the highest position of supremacy and sovereignty in the entire universe (Eph. 1:20-23; Phil. 2:9-11), He is not forgetful of His suffering and sinful saints on earth. Even though Christ wears many glorious diadems upon His head (Rev. 19:12), He knows the number of hairs on your head (Luke 12:7). Although He is seated at the most holy place at the Father’s right hand, He always inclines His ear to hear your prayers (Psalm 3:4), and He even prays on your behalf (Rom. 8:34). Christ has entered the holy of holies in heaven and holds the names of His children near His bosom, just as the Israelite priests wore the names of the twelve tribes on their breastplates when they entered God’s presence (Ex. 28:29; cf. Heb. 9:24; 10:19-22).

As the Puritan Thomas Watson assured, “Some, when raised to places of honor, forget their friends, [but] though Christ be in glory, he knows how to pity and succor [or help] thee. Christ, though in a glorified state, hears thy sighs, and bottles thy tears.” Watson was right. As the writer of Hebrews reminded us, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:15-16). Christ is never guilty of friendship ghosting. Although He is the Lord of all, He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother (Prov. 18:24).

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, and their three dogs, Susie, Aries, and Dot. Brandon and Dakota are also foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and a religious columnist for the Advance Yeoman newspaper in Ballard County, Kentucky. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. His columns are also featured in the Times-Argus newspaper of Central City, Kentucky, West Kentucky News of western Kentucky, and the online blog, Reforming the Heart.

Pick up a copy of Brandon’s latest book, Fundamentals for the Faithful, which explains the importance of all the basics which every believer should know:

Bible Gleanings, devotions

A Terrific Tapestry | Bible Gleanings | August 24-25, 2024

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The rear view is a mess, but the front view is a masterpiece. That is what you’ll see if you glance at both sides of a tapestry. Tapestries are an ancient art form that requires an extraordinary amount of forethought and expertise. And to make one, a weaver will arrange threads vertically on a loom and then interweave threads of different colors horizontally. The end result is a breathtaking portrait which showcases the skill and creativity of the weaver.

However, the most striking feature of a tapestry is its backside, which looks like regurgitated rainbow spaghetti or a ball of yarn that an angry toddler twisted up. The back of tapestries are chaotic and unpleasant, lacking structure and meaning. But, simply turn it over and you’ll find that the weaver knew what he or she was doing. The front side view reveals that each thread, knot, and braid has a role to play and a pivotal purpose. It all depends on how you look at it.

That is how your life is in the grand scheme of God’s providential plan. He is weaving together every joy and sorrow, every day and every tomorrow, as part of His beautiful plan for your life. By stitching together every triumph you enjoy and every trouble you despise, He is creating a breathtaking tapestry which points to His handiwork. The Lord is the master weaver who knows exactly what He is doing. As Paul famously declared in Romans 8:28, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Unfortunately, all we can see is the backside of our life’s tapestry, which is rarely resplendent. Perhaps all we see are unanswered prayers and seemingly senseless suffering that looks like a jumbled disaster of threads and knots. But, no matter how much our lives may look like a mess, the Scripture is clear that everything has a place in the glorious masterpiece that the Lord is putting together (Eph. 1:11). And although we cannot see the whole picture, our simple but strenuous role is to trust that God is weaving something wonderful together. As Solomon wisely counseled, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding” (Prov. 3:5, KJV). 

There will come a day when we shall see our life’s tapestry from the frontside, but it will happen when God finishes it in heaven. One day, we will understand how every vexation and victory was necessary for God’s perfect plan to come together. As the Puritan Thomas Watson assured us, “Yet, in the end, all will be made clear and plain. Here we see but darkly as through a glass, but in heaven, the veil shall be pulled off, and we shall clearly see the love of God in all that befell us.” The terrific tapestry is coming together— just trust the process and the One doing the weaving.

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, and their three dogs, Susie, Aries, and Dot. Brandon and Dakota are also foster parents through Sunrise Children’s Services of Kentucky. Brandon is also a published author and a religious columnist for the Advance Yeoman newspaper in Ballard County, Kentucky. He is also a devotional contributor for Kentucky Today, a news publication of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. His columns are also featured in the Times-Argus newspaper of Central City, Kentucky, West Kentucky News of western Kentucky, and the online blog, Reforming the Heart.

Pick up a copy of Brandon’s latest book, Fundamentals for the Faithful, which explains the importance of all the basics which every believer should know:

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: