Tag Archives: weekend

A Free Offer | Bible Gleanings – Feb 12-13, 2022

In addition to receiving monthly bills in the mail, I also get a half-pound bundle of useless vouchers and coupons I never redeem. Limited-time cable and internet bargains, special fast-food discounts, and a membership form for AARP are all included in the colorful paper clump. The real prize lies buried within: a slew of slips emblazoned with the words, โ€œFREE OFFER INSIDE.โ€ And the offers are absolutely irresistible: a $100,000 life insurance policy for only $3 a month, a $200 gift card for a cable service that goes out when a raindrop hits the roof, and a free tank of gas when you purchase a truck with the low price tag of $50,000! 

However, if you read the fine print, youโ€™ll find that the โ€œfreeโ€ offers arenโ€™t actually free. There are always caveats and strings attached. And besides, none of the offers truly deliver on their claims. Fortunately, there is one free offer that is truly free. It always delivers on its promises, and it is clear of any belying fine print. It is not found in the mailboxes of every street, but it is offered to the heart of every sinner. And I found it, not when I opened a discount mailer, but when I opened my Bible, which says:

โ€œFor God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.โ€ (John 3:16).

Godโ€™s offer of everlasting life is free for all. You cannot buy it with an offering and you cannot earn it through good works (cf. Acts 8:20). Jesus purchased it in full by His atoning death, so you donโ€™t have to (Eph. 1:7). That is why Paul declared, โ€œFor by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boastโ€ (Eph. 2:8-9).

Furthermore, there is no small print excluding anyone from the offer of forgiveness and eternal life. Salvation is for every tongue, class, and culture. God doesnโ€™t pass you by because of how you look or where you come from. Every person of every race stands condemned before the bench of His righteousness, and every person is invited and commanded to be made righteous through faith in Jesus Christ alone (Romans 3:22-23; 10:12-13).

Friend, this is an offer you canโ€™t refuse. Reach out your hands and accept it by repenting of your sins and trusting wholly in Christ for your salvation (Acts 17:30; Gal. 2:16). And do so now while the offer still stands: โ€œSeek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is nearโ€ (Isaiah 55:6).

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).

Light Exposure | Bible Gleanings – January 8-9, 2022

Skunk spray is easy to smell, but difficult to see. A few months ago, our dogs were sprayed by the gag-inducing gas (nothing out of the ordinary), and I had difficulty expelling the odor from our home because I couldnโ€™t tell where it was. I could no longer endure identifying it with my nose, so I purchased an ultraviolet flashlight to do so. Because the flashlight emits fluorescent rays that detect mold, pet urine, and other stains, I thought skunk spray (which is an oil) would undoubtedly glow neon green under its light. 

Unfortunately, it did not. However, when I strolled around the house with the handheld light, it uncovered spots and stains I never saw before. It highlighted tiny specks of food residue near the trash can and small drip lines of condensation by the stovetop fan. The light exposed grime I could not see with the naked eye. And, while I was frustrated to discover that we had even more to clean than before, I am grateful that the light revealed previously unseen dirt. Donโ€™t buy an ultraviolet flashlight unless you are prepared to break out the Clorox for a thorough cleaning!

The blazing light of holy Scripture also exposes grime we cannot see with the naked eye. The Holy Spirit uses the Bible to reveal stains that we would never detect by ourselves. When you read and study Godโ€™s word, it shines a brilliant beam on sinโ€™s residue in your heart and life. Paul wrote, โ€œBut all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is lightโ€ (Ephesians 5:13).

Apart from Scriptureโ€™s radiant light of truth shining upon us, we will stumble in the darkness of evil and error. The psalmist declared, โ€œThe unfolding of your words gives lightโ€ (Psalm 119:130). Solomon likewise proclaimed, โ€œFor the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of lifeโ€ (Proverbs 6:23).

The light of Scripture does not uncover our sins so the Lord may see them, for even โ€œour secret sins [are] in the light of your presenceโ€ (Psalm 90:8). Instead, the Bibleโ€™s gleaming light exposes our sins so we can see them for what they truly are.

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).

Repurposing | Bible Gleanings – January 1-2, 2022

An old coffee mug could sit comfortably on your desk as a container for pens and pencils. You could paint used soup cans and reuse them as miniature flower pots. That worn-out wooden ladder in your shed could be fastened horizontally to the wall as a small bookshelf. There are hundreds of household items that can be recycled for a new purpose. The landfill doesnโ€™t have to be their final home.

Using something for a purpose other than its original intended use is called repurposing or โ€œupcycling.โ€ This creative hobby generates joy for DIY enthusiasts, as well as growing viewership for handyman television shows where the host(s) specialize in finding new uses for old junk. But although repurposing has enjoyed much interest recently, there is only One who has been giving new purpose to seemingly purposeless things since the beginning of time: God. In His divine providence, the sovereign Lord uses things you would never think of to accomplish His good purposes.

The Bible is replete with โ€œrepurposingโ€ stories where God used seemingly inconsequential, meaningless, or even evil things to fulfill His indestructible plan of redemption. Joseph never would have ruled in Egypt if the Midianite traders hadnโ€™t discovered him in the pit his brothers tossed him into (Genesis 37:28). If Mosesโ€™ mother had not sent him downstream in a basket on the Nile, where he was found by Pharaohโ€™s daughter, he would never have led the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 2:1-10). Ruth would never have met and married Boaz in his barley fields if she hadnโ€™t gone there to help Naomi survive the famine (Ruth 1:22). Mary and Joseph only went to Bethlehem, the prophesied birthplace of the Messiah, because of Caesarโ€™s simple decree to pay taxes (Luke 2:1-3). The Samaritan woman encountered and was transformed by Jesus because she went out to draw water (John 4:7). And none of us would possess the gift of salvation were it not for an ugly crucifix planted atop Golgotha’s hill (John 19:17).

God gave a new purpose to a pit, a basket, a field, a decree, a water pail, and a Roman cross. The Scripture is unequivocally clear: God specializes in repurposing. Thatโ€™s why Paul wrote, โ€œAnd we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purposeโ€ (Romans 8:28). Because of Godโ€™s providence, there is always purpose in your pain, meaning in the mundane, and significance in your strain. Hope in the Lord to repurpose all things in your life for good and His glory. Or as Solomon counseled, โ€œTrust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understandingโ€ (Proverbs 3:5).

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).

Jesus Is Cominโ€™ to Town | Bible Gleanings [Advent Edition] – December 25-26, 2021

Children all across the world are excitedly waiting for Santa Claus to deliver lots of toys and goodies to their homes. The children are so eagerly awaiting Santa that they go to bed early and leave cookies and milk for him to enjoy. There are even songs about Santaโ€™s coming which dominate the radio waves, such as โ€œHere Comes Santa Clausโ€ and โ€œSanta Claus is Cominโ€™ to Town.โ€ Little boys and girls are warned to be on their best behavior because, โ€œheโ€™s making a list and checking it twice.โ€

The excitement for Santaโ€™s one-time visit pales in comparison to the Israelitesโ€™ anticipation of the Messiahโ€™s arrival. They waited for thousands of years for the One who would bring them salvation by offering Himself as a substitute (Isaiah 53:4-6). They waited for centuries on the arrival of their Savior, the One who would crush Satanโ€™s head and reverse the curse of sin (Genesis 3:15-19). Finally, He arrived on earth on Christmas Day. He was born in the likeness of men with a fleshly body (Philippians 2:5-8; Colossians 1:22; Hebrews 2:14, 17-18).

His first advent was humble, quiet, and observed by only His earthly parents, lowly shepherds, and a few bystanders. Now that He accomplished the work God sent Him to do, we are waiting on His second advent. He will come to earth a second time, and this time, everyone will see it: โ€œBehold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amenโ€ (Revelation 1:7). He will not come as a helpless babe, but as the King of kings and Lord of lords riding on a white horse to โ€œtread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almightyโ€ (Revelation 19:15). 

One glorious day, Jesus is cominโ€™ to town. Have you made preparations for His second arrival? He is coming soon: โ€œBehold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has doneโ€ (Revelation 22:12). It may be Christmas Day, tomorrow, or a thousand years from now. In any case, you must be ready: โ€œTherefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expectโ€ (Matthew 24:44).


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).

Christmas Interruptions | Bible Gleanings [Advent Edition] – December 18-19, 2021

โ€œAnd her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dreamโ€ (Matthew 1:19-20a).

Joseph was crushed. His heart was lacerated. Apparently, the woman he loved had committed adultery. How else would you explain this pregnancy? Joseph couldnโ€™t go through with this marriage. Mary had betrayed his trust. Therefore, he resolved to end their betrothal, albeit quietly, because he didnโ€™t want to cause a public ruckus.

The Christmas story is in jeopardy. All hopes of a Messiah would be dashed if Joseph goes through with the divorce. Joseph was crucial for the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies about Christ descending from Davidโ€™s royal lineage (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5-6). If Joseph divorces Mary, then Jesus will never inherit all the rights and privileges of being in Davidโ€™s family. Godโ€™s plan has come to an endโ€”or so it seemed.

Thatโ€™s when God stepped in and stopped him. The Lord intervened by sending an angel to Joseph in his sleep to explain the confounding situation and assure him that the child conceived in her was โ€œfrom the Holy Spiritโ€ (Matthew 1:20b). Godโ€™s plan was not in peril. The Lord did not panic. Josephโ€™s confusion was merely another page in Godโ€™s pre-orchestrated novel of events. And He supernaturally intervened to bring it to fulfillment.

The Lord God still does this today. God may not send an angel to you when He wants to get you back on course, but He will interrupt your life and intervene in unexpected (and possibly unwanted) ways to accomplish His perfect purpose. Who knows how many times God has done this already? Have faith in the good and sovereign Lord, trusting that He knows what He is doing. He does what He pleases and perfectly carries out His plan for His people (Psalm 115:3; Romans 8:28). Embrace interruptions and obstacles. They are just another page in your pre-written story.


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).

Godโ€™s Free Gift | Bible Gleanings [Advent Edition] December 11-12, 2021


There is something tender and heartwarming about a childโ€™s unbridled anticipation as they race down the stairs to see what gifts await them beneath the Christmas tree. Giving and receiving gifts has been a Christmastime custom observed for hundreds of years, but how did this tradition begin? Many speculate that the tradition is based on the wise men who gave Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11). Others believe that gift-giving follows in the boots of the historical Saint Nicholas, who gave gifts to poor children in his neighborhood. Whatever the historical roots of ripping open presents on Christmas morning, the tradition can remind us of Godโ€™s gift to us on Christmas Day: eternal life through Jesus Christ.

Paul famously said, โ€œFor the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lordโ€ (Romans 6:23). Eternal life is a gift, and this conveys several wonderful truths about the nature of eternal life. First, it cannot be earned. You canโ€™t buy it with works of righteousness. You canโ€™t earn it by baptism or church membership. You cannot do anything to deserve it. It is Godโ€™s free and gracious gift to you (Acts 8:20; Ephesians 2:8).

Secondly, it should be received with gratitude. You must come to God with empty hands in order to receive the gift of eternal life. All you must do is open your hands to receive it. Once you are โ€œjustified by his grace as a giftโ€ (Romans 3:24), you canโ€™t help but exclaim in gratitude, โ€œThanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!โ€ (2 Corinthians 9:15).

Finally, it was purchased by the precious blood of Christ. Every gift has a cost paid by the buyer. Likewise, the gift of everlasting life came at a cost. It comes freely to you, but it was paid for by the blood of Jesus on Calvary. That is why Paul explained, โ€œIn him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his graceโ€ (Ephesians 1:7).

If you have received the free gift of eternal life by faith in Jesus Christ, rejoice. Sing the words of Jessie B. Poundsโ€™ little-know hymn, Blessed Gift:

โ€œO Thou blessed gift from Heaven,

Words Thy worth can never tell!

Sweetest boon to mortals given,

Is our Lord Immanuel.โ€

Who in your life has not yet received Godโ€™s free gift? There is no better gift you could give them than the message of the gospel this Christmas. If you want to learn more about the traditions of Christmas, check out my new Christmas devotional on Amazon: Let Earth Receive Her King: 25 Daily Advent Devotions.


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).

Better Than Santa | Bible Gleanings [Advent Edition] – December 4-5, 2021

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 Cominโ€™ to Town, โ€œHeโ€™s making a list, heโ€™s checking it twice, heโ€™s gonna find out whoโ€™s naughty or nice.โ€ 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, โ€œI have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentanceโ€ (Luke 5:32). Furthermore, He came to erase your name from the โ€œnaughty listโ€ and write it in His book, the โ€œLambโ€™s book of lifeโ€ (Revelation 21:27). 

The fact that shepherds were the first to hear the good news of Jesusโ€™ birth embodies Christโ€™s mission to save the undeserving. 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. Luke wrote, โ€œAnd in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to themโ€ (Luke 2:8-9a). 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.

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. Thereโ€™s no question about itโ€”Jesus came to save the least qualified.

You donโ€™t 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 is why Jesus is better than Santa. If you want to learn more about the significance of Jesusโ€™ coming to earth, check out my new Christmas devotional on Amazon: โ€œLet Earth Receive Her King: 25 Daily Advent Devotions.โ€


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).

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

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. โ€œAmen, pastor. Preach it!โ€ heโ€™d say. He gave generously to every offering and served on every committee. Thatโ€™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. โ€œIโ€™ll visit him at home. Iโ€™ve got an idea,โ€ the pastor thought.

The minister was warmly welcomed inside after knocking on the door. The two exchanged pleasantries and then sat by the fireplace. โ€œI’m sure you understand why I’m here,โ€ the pastor added. โ€œIt’s not good for you to be absent from church.โ€ 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. โ€œWould you look at that?โ€ asked the pastor. โ€œThe heat of the coal goes away if it’s not in the fireplace, surrounded by other hot coals.โ€ The manโ€™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 Christianโ€™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 lifeโ€™s trials and the strong wind of Satanโ€™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: โ€œAnd 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 approachingโ€ (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).

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

โ€œItโ€™s about time you showed up!โ€ 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. โ€œWhy donโ€™t you come by after school and help me build my garage?โ€ 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 Heโ€™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, โ€œWhat 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 growthโ€ (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 sinnerโ€™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 sinnerโ€™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).

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

The burgundy shorts didnโ€™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 theyโ€™re not just for proving a sale; they are also a security document, assuring that if you donโ€™t like a product, you can always return it. No sale is finalโ€”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 wonโ€™t do it with you. God doesnโ€™t keep a receipt for your soul. He isnโ€™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 foreverโ€”not because you are great, but because the price paid for you was great. As Peter rightly stated, โ€œFor 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 Godโ€ (1 Peter 1:18-19, NLT). 

God owns you if you know Christ as your Lord and Savior. โ€œYou are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your bodyโ€ (1 Corinthians 6:19b-20). You are His possession: โ€œ[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 worksโ€ (Titus 2:14). And His purchase of your salvation on Calvary was final: โ€œHe [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 redemptionโ€ (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).