Tag Archives: sin

Bible Gleanings, devotions

Keep Ducking | Bible Gleanings | October 11-12, 2025

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I always duck my head when I put away the dishes. But not because my wife stealthily wields a frying pan, eager to cash in on some life insurance. No, I instinctively lower my head because of our poorly placed cabinet door—and my poor memory of its existence. It sits right above the dishwasher, and I have a bad habit of leaving it open while I put away plates, mugs, and cutlery. And having hit my head on it many times, I have learned to automatically duck—even while it is closed.

And the other day, the old adversary vanquished me again. Vibing to some good music with my headphones on, I forgot to duck, and a thud echoed across the kitchen. And a pulsing abrasion on my balding head served as a reminder that no matter how many times you’ve learned your lesson, old problems can still get you. Many dangers remain in place, waiting for you to forget they are there.

Paul the apostle understood this problem profoundly. After twenty-something years of continual Christian maturity, he admitted in Romans that he still “hit his head” from time to time:

“For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate . . . For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing . . . So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand” (Rom. 7:15, 18-19, 21).

Struggling with the same old sins and suffering from setbacks is a part of every saint’s sanctification. Sin isn’t going away until we are away from our bodies and present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8). Until then, we must remain diligently watchful and continue ducking our heads to avoid sin and the headaches it induces. The real danger is thinking there is no danger—that is precisely when sin inflicts another bruise on our heads. As Paul also said, “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12). 

And when sin hits us on the head due to our carelessness, the good news is that God will lift us up by His grace. The writer of Proverbs 24:16 promised, “For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.” The psalmist likewise assured, “Though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand” (Psalm 37:24). Keep ducking your head, Christian. And when you forget to do so, remember that God raises the humble heads of those who have been wounded by their besetting sins.

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 Sin-Forgiving Savior | Bible Gleanings | July 26-27, 2025

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The air carried the sound of the Savior’s voice to the crowded multitude, but the sound of crashing debris abruptly cut Him off in the middle of His sermon (Luke 5:17-19). There was no earthquake or riot—just a group of hopeful and determined friends who were removing roof tiles from the house where Jesus was speaking (Matt. 9:3-4). Then there was silence, as all eyes were fixed on Jesus. Everyone was curious about what He would do: the nosy crowds, the faith-filled friends of the paralytic, and certainly, the paralytic himself, who hoped that Jesus would reward their efforts by healing him. And gasps must have rippled through the crowd when Jesus, rather than restoring the man’s ability to walk, declared to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you” (Luke 5:20).

The man came seeking physical healing, but received spiritual healing. It is not as though Jesus did not pity his physical condition—He did, and that is why He delivered him from paralysis as well (Matt. 9:6-7). However, the remission of sins was far more important to Jesus than the removal of suffering. Indeed, it is eternally more significant; man’s greatest need is for salvation and the forgiveness of sins, and there is no greater sin-forgiver than Christ. And only He can forgive the multitude of our sins because He is God, as even His enemies attested: “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Mark 2:7).

To this day, anyone who comes to Christ in repentance and faith will be delivered from spiritual paralysis and empowered to walk in obedience. Any sinner who comes to the Savior can walk away from the “mats and beds” of their former life of wickedness, and leave their gargantuan sin debt at Jesus’ feet. And this is possible because Christ not only prayed for the forgiveness of sinners on the cross—He paid for it (Luke 23:34; 1 Peter 1:18-19). As Paul said, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace” (Eph. 1:7). And when Jesus declares to saved sinners, “Your sins are forgiven,” He means all of them. He blots them out by His blood, remembers them no more, and “as far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12; cf. Isaiah 43:35; Micah 7:18-19).

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

Damage Control | Bible Gleanings | June 28-29, 2025

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The prosperous paradise became a desolate graveyard in a matter of weeks. The air was unbreathable. Pests invaded homes and raided pantries. Livestock perished by the thousands. Leprous skin diseases broke out. Darkness covered the land, and even the water turned to blood.

This is not a scene from an apocalyptic movie, however. It was real life for the ancient Egyptians during the plagues God sent to compel Pharaoh to fear the Lord and free the Israelites from slavery. But more jaw-dropping than the severity of the plagues themselves was Pharaoh’s spiritual schizophrenia—his flip-flopping inconsistency. He begged for mercy when the plagues were too hard to bear, but hardened his heart the moment things got better. When he couldn’t take anymore, he cried, “Plead for me . . . This time I have sinned; the Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong . . . Go, serve the Lord; your little ones also may go with you” (Ex. 8:28; 9:27; 10:24). Even his advisors warned, “Let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God. Do you not yet understand that Egypt is ruined?” (Ex. 10:7).

Yet, as soon as the skies cleared and the frogs croaked their last, the Scripture says, “But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the Lord had said” (Ex. 8:15; cf. Ex. 8:32; 9:34; 10:20, 27). He did not hate his sin—he hated the consequences of it. He despised discomfort, not disobedience. His heart ached because of the suffering caused by his sin, but not because of sin itself. 

But before we point too many fingers at Pharaoh, we would do well to look in the mirror. How often do we mourn over our sin only because it seizes our comfort, robs our peace, and afflicts our consciences? We are often more upset by the plagues sin brings upon our lives than by the fact that sin is offensive to our holy God. And let’s be honest: if we could sin without consequences, many of us would do so without hesitation and harden our hearts even worse than Pharaoh. That is not sin-hating repentance at all—it is damage-control.

As the Puritan John Owen wrote, “We must hate all sin, as sin, and not just that which troubles us. To seek mortification only because a sin troubles us proceeds from self-love . . . A man who only opposes the sin in his heart for fear of shame among men or eternal punishment from God would practice the sin if there were no punishment attending it.” In other words, genuine repentance is marked by grief over what sin is, not merely by what sin does (2 Cor. 7:10). As believers, we should hate our sin not simply because it harms us, but because it grieves and defies the God who saved us from it.

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

When You Give Sin An Inch | Bible Gleanings | June 7-8, 2025

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A small handful of cracked rivet holes led to flooded streets, crushed buildings, trapped horses, and tragically, the deaths of twenty-one people and injury to over a hundred other victims. Around lunchtime on January 15, 1919, two million gallons of molasses burst from a giant tank in the north end of Boston. This calamity became known as The Great Molasses Flood. Due to its humorous name, many students have laughed at this section in their history books—only to find themselves in jaw-dropping horror when reading the details.

Because the poorly maintained tank could hold no more, a tsunami of molasses swept through town at thirty-five miles per hour, demolishing everything in its path. Some blamed the disaster on the buildup of fermentation gases. Others accused anarchists of setting off a bomb. But the real cause was cheap metalwork—one-inch rivets that couldn’t handle the load. The cheapjack rivets stressed the rivet holes, allowing cracks to form, and the rest is literally history. 

It only takes a little to destroy a lot. The Scripture affirms that truth, too. One small bite of forbidden fruit brought sin into the world (Gen. 3:6). One seemingly harmless haircut sapped Samson’s strength (Jud. 16:19). One strike of a rock cost Moses entrance into the Promised Land (Num. 20:11-12). One little bag of silver cost Judas his soul (Matt. 26:15). One white lie resulted in the divinely ordained deaths of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:3-11).

A little sin can cause a whole lot of trouble. One unguarded moment, one lustful look, one ill-spoken word, and one lash of anger is all it takes to spread sin’s sticky mess in your life and reap irreversible injury (cf. Eccl. 10:1). That is why wise believers do not treat sin lightly—they know that if you give sin an inch, it will take a mile. Discerning Christians understand that sin always wants more than it seems to ask. They know that sin will seep through the smallest crack to cause collapse.

How can believers prevent “small sins” from creeping in? Proverbs 9:10 gives the answer: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” Fearing the Lord means revering the Lord, and this entails living with an awareness that He sees all, knows all, and takes sin seriously (Job 34:21; Psa. 33:13-15; 139:1-4; Prov. 15:3; Heb. 4:13). When you fear the Lord, you will live wisely and watchfully, keeping your eyes peeled for lurking sins which invite God’s discipline and result in ruin. Do not wait for disaster to remind you that so-called “little sins” matter a great deal. Fear the Lord now, and you will be wary of the little cracks that sin loves to slip through.

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, Sermons

Sorrow for Sin | Bible Gleanings | March 8-9, 2025

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David was too sick to his stomach to eat and slept on the ground in mourning clothes when Nathan the prophet confronted him about the gravity of his murder, lying, and adultery (2 Sam. 12:7-17). Upon discovering that they only had forty days to get their act together and turn to the Lord, the Ninevites wiped the smiles from their faces and donned frowns of repentance (Jonah 3:1-10). Ezra tore his clothes, ripped out his hair, and sat in the dirt for an entire day when learning about the Israelites’ insensible iniquity (Ezra 9:3-4). A torrent of tears spilled from the eyes of the sinful woman who interrupted Jesus’ dinner with Simon the Pharisee—enough tears to wash Jesus’ feet, as a matter of fact (Luke 7:37-38). After denying Christ thrice, despite swearing to never do so, a regretful and repentant Peter “went out and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:62). 

Every child of God should shed tears of remorse and repentance when realizing the seriousness of their sins against God. And this is the meaning of Jesus’ command to His disciples then and now to be marked as, “those who mourn” (Matt. 5:4a). Certainly, while the Lord cares about all legitimate mourning (Psalm 56:8), Jesus is speaking having a broken heart for the sin which breaks God’s heart. Christ’s command is repeated in James 4:9, where the apostle exhorted, “Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.”

The Corinthian Christians also felt this holy grief. That is why Paul commended it in 2 Corinthians 7, where he wrote, “As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death” (2 Cor. 7:9-10). Therefore, believers must weep when they sin against God, taking a page out of Ezra’s confessional prayer: “O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens” (Ezra 9:6; cf. Lam. 5:15-16).

Fortunately, the Lord consoles the contrite: “they shall be comforted” (Matt. 5:4b). God comforts those who experience godly sorrow—never before they do, but always afterwards. Those who continually mourn over sin will be continually restored and reassured by the “God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 1:3). And this comfort will be fully realized when believers see the Lord face-to-face in eternity, in a place where sin is barred from entering: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4).

This above column is from my 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 paperback and 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, 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 Just Judge | Bible Gleanings – March 16-17, 2024

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An Oklahoma judge was recently judged to be unfit to judge because of poor judgment. According to the Associated Press, the former district judge sent over five-hundred text messages to friends during a murder trial, “including messages that mocked prosecutors and were sprinkled with emojis.” Obviously, judges should oversee cases with serious solemnity and meticulous attention to detail since lives are at stake and justice must be served. Justice is not a joke, and this ex-judge is currently on trial for “gross neglect of duty, oppression in office, lack of proper temperament and failure to supervise her office.” If she hadn’t been caught on CCTV cameras, she may have issued an unfair verdict that reduced the criminal’s charges.

Guilty sinners like you and I might wish that the Judge of all the universe is just as careless and neglectful of our spiritual crimes. We may hope that He is too preoccupied with controlling the cosmos to remember the multitude of our trespasses and sins. But the verdict of the Bible is that God keeps a perfect ledger of all our evils (Rev. 20:12-15). Every last sin—from the time of our birth to our death—will be recorded in the books that shall be opened on the Day of Judgment. God sees all of our iniquities (Heb. 4:13), and He could even see them with His eyes closed (cf. Psalm 11:4).

The good news is that the same Judge fully and finally forgives those who are in Christ. Those whose names are written in the Book of Life do not need to worry about any books containing a record of their sins because they have been erased and forgotten (Jer. 31:34; cf. Psalm 103:12). Jesus traded places with guilty sinners, and He cancels the gargantuan sin debt of anyone who trusts in Him (Col. 2:14). That is why Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” The one who has faith in Jesus is justified by the Judge Himself and declared innocent because of the substitutionary atonement of Christ (Rom. 3:21-26).

Jesus bore your punishment, paid your penalty, and died the death you deserve (Rom. 6:23). As Isaiah the prophet declared, “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. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isa. 53:5-6). Have you trusted in the Christ who was judged in your place or are you hoping that God is too busy to keep up with your sins?

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 Little Leaven | Bible Gleanings – February 3-4, 2024

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Sourdough is now the greatest thing since sliced bread. People from all walks of life are jumping on the bakery bandwagon, experimenting with different recipes and techniques to achieve the perfect loaf. This trend first swept the nation in 2020 because everyone was isolated in quarantine and store bought yeast was in short supply. Since baking sourdough requires a lot of time and very few ingredients (both of which everyone had), it was the perfect pandemic bread. And the sourdough trend is still in style today, causing some to question whether Jesus was telling the truth when He said that man does not live on bread alone!

However, although sourdough has been all the rage recently, it is not a recent invention; in fact, it predates sliced bread. The ancient world relied solely upon sourdough’s active ingredient—wild yeast produced by flour, water, and time. And this wild yeast was commonly known as “leaven.” Bakers in ancient days would retain a pinch of fermented dough or leaven from the previous week and add it to a new lump of dough to accelerate the fermentation process. The little sour fragment would morph with the new lump, so much so that it was impossible to separate the leaven from the lump. 

It is no surprise, then, that the Scripture likens sin to leaven, since it quickly spreads its sourness into the heart and life of anyone who kneads it. It only takes a little leaven of evil to corrupt your testimony, taint your mind, ruin your relationships, or destroy your church. Sin infiltrates insidiously and permeates progressively—and it doesn’t take much to sow irreparable damage. That is why Paul the apostle warned, “Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened” (1 Cor. 5:6-7a; cf. Gal. 5:9).

Believers must be vigilant against evil, no matter how small and harmless it may seem. As Jesus cautioned, “Watch and beware of the leaven” (Matt. 16:6a). Additionally, we must cast out any leaven in our hearts and minds before it has the chance to fester and spread sour corruption to our lives. And if we find ourselves spoiled by sin’s influence, we must turn to Christ for cleansing. As the Puritan Thomas Adams (1583–1652) encouraged, “Our leaven hath soured us, but we are made sweet again by the all-perfuming blood of our blessed Savior.”

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 Best of Both Worlds | Bible Gleanings – November 11-12, 2023

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Odysseus wanted the best of both worlds, and he paid dearly for it. His tale is told in The Odyssey, the world-famous poetic book written by Homer in the eighth century. The narrative centers on his ten-year journey back to the kingdom of Ithaca after the end of the Trojan War, and every reader of The Odyssey knows that his return-voyage was not easy. One hazardous threat he faced on his return trip were the Sirens, two ghastly monsters disguised as beautiful women who enchanted travelers with their lovely melodies in an attempt to lure and devour them. Odysseus and his crew were thus instructed to deafen their ears with wax and chain themselves to their ship so they would not be swayed by the seductive tune.

But Odysseus paid no attention. He ordered his men to bind him hand and foot to their ship, but leave his ears open so he might hear the splendid song of the Sirens without being slain. The magical melody soon danced upon the waters, and Odysseus demanded to be released immediately. Then he started straining against the chains, until they dug deeply into his skin and caused fatal bleeding. And it wasn’t until their ship sailed far away from the Sirens that Odysseus understood the shameful and agonizing cost of having things both ways.

Wanting the best of both worlds might be a theme of an eighth-century poetic novel, but it is a timeless problem that exists for believers in the twenty-first century, too. The duplicitous desire to indulge in the sinful pleasures of the world while concurrently savoring the Lord’s goodness is a tricky temptation that all of the Lord’s saints experience. That is why the Scripture is replete with warnings about trying to hold hands with God and the wicked world at the same time. As James said, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4, KJV). And as Jesus taught, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other” (Matt. 6:24a).

Love for the world is simply incompatible with love for God (cf. 1 John 2:15-17). Moreover, the Lord will not settle for such divided allegiance, spiritual adultery, half-hearted worship, or the “leftovers” of our love. He detests lukewarm love and delights in wholehearted devotion (Rev. 3:15-16). And most importantly, only the Lord is worthy of all the love and worship we can give (Psalm 96:4; Rev. 4:11); that is why believers are commanded to love the Lord with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength, and not some of it (Luke 10:27). Living a best-of-both-worlds life might sound appealing, but it is simply not worth it—just ask Odysseus.

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

In the Wilderness | Bible Gleanings – May 13-14, 2023

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He was fatigued, famished, and seemingly forsaken. The Lord Jesus was fasting in the wilderness for forty days all by Himself, and the devil thought He was in a prime position for temptation. As Matthew said, “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread”” (Matt. 4:1-3).

Satan wanted Jesus to think that the Father had abandoned him. He was essentially saying, “Look at You, all by Yourself and starving. Do You not think the Father would feed You if He truly loved You? You’d better put some of that heavenly power to use and turn stones to bread because it doesn’t look like God is coming to Your aid.” But contrary to appearance, Jesus was not wandering the desert by Himself. The Father provided Jesus with divine reinforcements during Satan’s temptations: “The angels were ministering to him” (Mark 1:13b). Satan was wrong: Jesus had heaven on His side because he was heaven’s Son.

Jesus was not left to battle temptation alone, and neither are you. The honey of God’s sustaining grace is always available in the wilderness. The wilderness of this world may whet your appetite for sin, but God has planted the nourishing flowers of goodness in His word, in the place of prayer, and among His people so that you may eat your fill of His love. The Lord’s power will minister to you like an angel from above. That is why Paul assured, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it” (1 Cor. 10:13).

Moreover, even time spent in the wilderness is not meaningless. No temptation proceeds from God, but every temptation can be used by God for good. Remember, God purposed to send Jesus into the wilderness: “The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness” (Mark 1:12). What could possibly be God’s purpose in allowing you to be tempted? Pastor and author Warren Wiersbe articulated it well: “Satan tempts us to bring out the worst in us, but God can use these difficult experiences to put the best into us. Temptation is Satan’s weapon to defeat us, but it can become God’s tool to build us.” 

Dear believer, when you find yourself in the wilderness of temptation, seek God’s way of escape and admit your need for His sustaining grace. Pray the words of I Need Thee Every Hour, a hymn written by Robert Lowry (1826-1899), which says:

“I need Thee ev’ry hour,

Stay Thou nearby;

Temptations lose their pow’r

When Thou art nigh.

I need Thee, oh, I need Thee;

Ev’ry hour I need Thee;

Oh, bless me now, my Savior,

I come to Thee.”

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: