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Bible Gleanings, devotions

Wherever He Leads | Bible Gleanings | June 13-14, 2026

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The boy was abruptly abducted. Convinced he would make a good slave, his kidnappers forced him to tend sheep in the extreme conditions of a remote land beyond the sea. Although not particularly religious, the excruciating ordeal compelled the young lad to pray. Finally, after five arduous years, he escaped from captivity by boarding a vessel that carried him home to the embrace of grateful parents who implored him never to leave again. But the runaway slave would eventually undertake the unthinkable: return to the land of his captors with the gospel of Christ—Saint Patrick of Ireland was his name.

The Lord constrained him to return to his nightmare of a life when an Irishman appeared in his dreams, pleading, “We beg you to come and walk among us once more.” Go back to the land that stole his freedom? Relive the past he fought so hard to forget? Saint Patrick said yes. He traded his own safety for service to his Savior and convenience for compliance with Christ’s calling on his life.

The results were miraculous. His evangelistic efforts contributed to the conversion of practically the entire population. An ancient painting of Patrick says it all. It depicts him driving out snakes—the “snakes” of idolatry and dark superstition, which he expelled by proclaiming the Man who crushed the head of the serpent (cf. Gen. 3:15). Even the Celtic slave trade that had once ensnared him diminished because of the transforming power of the message he preached.

A willing believer saying “yes” to a difficult task plus a wonder-working God is a powerful combination. As a matter of fact, the Lord’s greatest works are rarely accomplished the easy way. Moses had to repeatedly stand before an intimidating Pharaoh before Israel was delivered. Gideon had to defeat the Midianites with a significantly decreased fighting force (Judges 7:1-3). The first church had to endure severe persecution in order to multiply (Acts 8:1-4). Even Christ had to suffer and die upon the cross before being raised on the third day (1 Cor. 15:1-4).

God is most active in the hard places: the difficult conversation you don’t want to have, the uncomfortable sacrifice you don’t want to make, and the frightening step of faith you hesitate to take. This is why the Lord delights in servants who answer His sometimes-challenging calls and commands like Isaiah: “Here am I; send me” (Isa. 6:8). Indeed, the path of obedience might bring you face-to-face with your fears, but it will also lead directly to the breathtaking purposes of God. Therefore, the anthem on every believer’s lips ought to be that which is found in B. B. McKinney’s well-known hymn which says,

“It may be through the shadows dim,

or o’er the stormy sea,

I take my cross and follow Him;

wherever He leadeth me.

Wherever He leads I’ll go,

wherever He leads I’ll go,

I’ll follow my Christ who loves me so,

wherever He leads I’ll go.”

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, 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

Climbing Too High | Bible Gleanings | May 16-17, 2026

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“No matter what, I must reach the top,” he swore to himself, as salty sweat stung his eyes. Although dozens of climbers had died trying, the man was determined to breathe the air of victory at the peak of the ocean-encircled seamount. Halfway to the summit, the ledges began to crumble beneath his feet and the rocks he grasped disintegrated in his hands—but he daringly scrambled upward. Abruptly, his foot slipped, causing him to fall forcefully until his survival backpack became ensnared on a protruding limb. The “Do Not Climb” sign he brushed off at ground level resurfaced in his mind, but he regained his footing, cut his backpack loose with a knife, and watched it plummet to a watery grave hundreds of feet below.

At long last, he arrived at the top, where he exhaled in relief and became absorbed in the stunning sights of the golden horizon and the vast ocean. But after ten minutes of celebration, panic set in: he could not get down. His climbing and survival supplies were in his long-gone backpack. He would die if he jumped, and only the birds would hear him if he screamed for help. Days and nights elapsed as he paced the peak, failing to devise an escape plan—until he succumbed to dehydration and starvation.

Sometimes, climbing too high is a bad idea—it may even kill you. Climbing too high in our hearts through pride is a bad idea, too. Pride manifests itself when we climb over the warnings in God’s word about sin—treating His commands like obstacles in our way rather than safeguards for our good. When we disobey His prohibitions, we pridefully believe that sin’s danger doesn’t apply to us and that we know better than God Himself. Pride also shows up when we think too highly of ourselves and climb over others in pursuit of selfish ambitions—pushing our way to the top to relish in applause and recognition (Rom. 12:3).

But higher is not better. Those who soar as high as an eagle in pride will be brought down in shame (Jer. 49:16), and the greatly exalted will be gravely humbled (Luke 14:11). Did the builders of the Tower of Babel succeed in climbing above God? Did not Nebuchadnezzar crawl like a beast on the ground after exalting himself too highly? Was not Satan cast down from the heights of heaven for his boastful arrogance?

The way up is not up—the way up is down. This is why Peter assured, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you” (1 Pet. 5:6). We must humbly obey God’s warnings about sin, trusting that He knows what is best for us. We must climb down from our pride-pedestals to become lowly servants of others—esteeming them higher than ourselves (Phil. 2:3-5). And when we walk low in humility, we need not fear a great fall (cf. Prov. 16:18).

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, 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 Christian’s War Room | Bible Gleanings | March 21-22, 2026

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The fields of battle have frequently been filled with formidable fighters who fell for failure to familiarize themselves with the fiercest weapon of all: prayer. King Saul succumbed in his last battle with the Philistines because he “did not seek guidance from the LORD” in prayer (1 Chron. 10:14). King Amaziah was annihilated—although equipped with 400,000 mighty men and mercenaries—because he did not pray and trust the Lord (2 Chron. 25:5-25). Even the faithful king Josiah was fatally wounded in his last fight because he did not first pray for God’s counsel (2 Chron. 35:20-27). On the other hand, when the Israelites surrounded king David with prayer in Psalm 20, he emerged with a crown of victory on his head, as he later celebrated in Psalm 21.

Failure to pray sets us up for failure, especially in the battles we fight as believers. If we do not fall on our knees in prayer, we will fall in defeat. All conflicts we meet head-on should be faced with our heads down in prayer. Prayer is the armory and arsenal where God equips His people with heaven’s weapons for spiritual combat on earth. Prayer is the believer’s war room.

Prayer is where we don the spiritual armor of God which protects us against Satan. Our God-provided belt, breastplate, shoes, shield, helmet, and sword can only be utilized when we are “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication” (Eph. 6:18a). Facing Satan’s schemes prayerlessly is like waving a white flag before the battle even starts. This is why the Puritan George Swinnock (1627—1673) once counseled, “Prayer is one of the great ordinances that batters down the strongholds of the devil; hence he sets his wiles at work to divert men from it. It is the soul’s armor and Satan’s terror.” There is nothing the devil despises more than a praying Christian, and not much he can do to thwart a believer on their knees.

Prayer is also the key to being victorious over fleshly temptations. No wonder Jesus instructed us to pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (Matt. 6:13). Similarly, Christ taught that either temptation will overpower the believer, or the believer will overpower temptation through prayer. As He told His exhausted disciples, “Watch and pray lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt. 26:41). 

Neither should we expect victory in our tribulations without prayer. This is why James gave us the simple exhortation: “Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray” (James 5:13a). Prayer is how we give our burdens to the Lord and receive divine strength to endure trouble. Through prayer, we are given the grace necessary to press forward until the battle is over. Christian, do not enter the battlefield of life unguarded, unarmed, and unready—suit up every day in the war room of prayer.

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, 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

When Heaven Quakes | Bible Gleanings | February 14-15, 2026

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A traumatic earthquake in San Francisco deeply devastated the little boy, although he was oblivious to it. But he showed subtle signs of how shaken he was on the school’s swingset. The lad’s teachers observed that he would run for the swings during recess, and sway back and forth until it was time for school to resume. And when a teacher finally asked him why he bypassed the slides and merry-go-round to swing alone, he sadly answered, “On the swing, I move like the earth. So, if there’s another earthquake, I won’t feel it.” 

Without realizing it, he diagnosed the knee-jerk reaction we often have when we endure troubles in our lives. When we go through a life-shaking storm—an earthquake-level tribulation that rattles our world—we tend to brace ourselves for the next one. We live anxiously and guarded, worried that if things start to get better, that can only mean they are about to get worse. We often find ourselves quaking before the ground does.  

But the heartening truth of Scripture is that a much greater “quaking” takes place in heaven when we pray during times of trouble. As David said in Psalm 18,

“In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help . . . Then the earth reeled and rocked; the foundations also of the mountains trembled and quaked, because he was angry. The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice, hailstones and coals of fire. He sent from on high, he took me; he drew me out of many waters” (Ps. 18:6a, 7, 13, 16; cf. Acts 4:31; James 5:16b). 

When we send up a prayer for help during trials, the Lord treats it like a call for backup. At the sound of our requests, God rises like a mighty warrior from His throne, rattling the floor of heaven with His swift steps, and heaven’s gates fling open wide just so the Lord can get to our side. When we pray in peril, God shouts across the heavens as though to say, “Out of My way, My child is in trouble!” When our prayers reach His ears, He leaves the throne-room of glory and enters the battlefield with us. He conducts a search-and-rescue mission when we petition Him for mercy in misery, and will even mobilize creation itself to provide us with reinforcements so we can survive the battle.

Every good father—upon hearing his child crying in danger—would drop everything, rush to his location, and push aside anything that stands in his way. Likewise, our heavenly Father rushes to our position, pushing aside all the glories of heaven and all the starry hosts of the heavens to come to our aid when we need Him. As James Rowe (1865-1933) wrote in the great hymn Love Lifted Me,

“But the Master of the sea

heard my despairing cry,

from the waters lifted me

now safe am I.”

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, 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

Stewarding Your Spiritual Gifts | Bible Gleanings | February 7-8, 2026

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Being blind, uneducated, and seventy years-old, there was not much she could do—but she wanted to do something. The African woman had been led to Jesus by a gospel-preaching missionary, but her newfound zeal hit a brick wall because of her limitations. She wanted to serve the needy, but felt too old. She yearned to teach, but she couldn’t read. But after seeking God’s wisdom, she conceived an unconventional idea. 

She gave her Bible to the missionary and asked him to underline John 3:16 in red ink. She then passed around her Bible to younger villagers, asking, “Can you read the passage underlined in red?” Then came a follow-up question: “Do you know what this means?” When the youth would respond, “No,” she would then tell them “the old, old story of Jesus and His love.” Although she wasn’t a missionary or a Bible teacher, she understood that the Lord gave her a job to do—and she made it all about Jesus. 

Likewise, if you believe in the Man whose voice inspired the red letters, you also have a calling to fulfill, a ministry to steward, spiritual gifts to use, and divinely-tailored tasks assigned by God exclusively for you. As Paul explained, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone” (1 Cor. 12:4-6).

And the not-so-secret secret for faithfully fulfilling your God-given calling is centering your service and spiritual gifts around the “words in red,” and the Man who spoke them. When Jesus is not the focus, service swiftly degenerates into self-serving. If the glory of Christ is not the goal of your Spirit-supplied abilities, then recognition, results, and reputation will take its place. Thus, whether you are pastoring a church, teaching Sunday school, changing diapers in the nursery, evangelizing a lost neighbor, singing in the choir, leading family worship, caring for the sick, or counseling the broken—the cross must be the axis. This is why Peter said, “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 4:10-11a).

Jesus illustrated this truth in His parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14-30). A master entrusted great fortunes to his servants while he was gone. Two servants invested what they were given, but the “wicked and slothful servant” buried his money in the ground for safekeeping. When the master returned, he blessed the servants who used what he gave them, but cursed the servant who did nothing with what he was given. And the lesson is clear: use what God has given you (Rom. 12:6). Don’t bury your abilities and spiritual gifts—steward them faithfully.

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, 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

Heaven’s Savings Account | Bible Gleanings | January 31 – February 1, 2026

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The young man complied although he did not completely comprehend his father’s request. If he wished to continue living at home, he had to stick with his dad’s straightforward stipulations: hold down a job and pay rent. So, he paid his parents a substantial sum every month, hard-earned money that might otherwise have gone toward video games, upgrading his smartphone, and acquiring frivolous things from Amazon. Eventually, he decided to move out and buy his first home. It was then that his father revealed a long-time-coming surprise: “Son, I’ve been putting all of the money you’ve paid your mother and I into a savings account for the down payment on your house.”

His sacrifices literally paid off. Though he likely doubted at times whether it was a waste of time and money, he ended up paying himself. And similarly, the sacrifices we make for the Lord and His kingdom are everlasting investments. What we give up for Christ—as costly as it may be on earth—is sent ahead of us and reserved in an eternal “savings account,” to be inherited when we leave this world to live in a “house not made with hands” (2 Cor. 5:1). And this account is insured by the greatest “FDIC” of all: the Father’s Deposits in Christ.

According to Jesus, we rob ourselves of heavenly rewards when we settle for a comfortable and complacent life where our time, talents, and treasures are spent on ourselves (cf. Mark 8:34-36). But when we give until it hurts, serve when it interrupts our schedule, and choose costly obedience over convenient sins, we grow “rich toward God” (Luke 12:21) and stockpile treasure in heaven:

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal” (Matt. 6:19-20, KJV).

Christ also assured that we accrue “interest” on what we sacrifice:

“Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times more in this time, and in the age to come eternal life” (Luke 18:29-30).

In other words, the Lord will not only reimburse what we give up on earth—He will infinitely multiply it in eternity.

Still, just as the son paid rent to please his father rather than secure a reward, we must bless others, give our all for God’s kingdom, and treat every day as a sacrificial altar—not to manipulate God for blessings, but simply to please Him. The Lord owes us nothing, yet He promises to reward our faithfulness with “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4). Are you storing up treasures in heaven?

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, 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.

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Looking Beyond This Life | Bible Gleanings | January 24-25, 2026

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You are standing on a vanishing strip of soil, but not for long. Surrounding you on both sides are two rapidly raging rivers, eating away the ground beneath your feet. Swimming to safety is not an option, and it is only a matter of time before one of the turbulent torrents sweeps you away forever. Strangely, the secret to survival is your sight—keeping your gaze locked on both rushing rapids. And this is not a heart-stopping scene from a survival movie—this is how John Wesley (June 28, 1703—March 2, 1791) picturesquely described living a life that counts for eternity before your heart stops:

“I desire to have both heaven and hell ever in my eye, while I stand on this isthmus of life, between two boundless oceans.”

The Scripture supports Wesley’s sobering statement. Life is as short as a three-to-five second breath (Ps. 144:4), and fades as quickly as a vapor (James 4:14). We are candles flickering in the wind, living on borrowed time, and only one heartbeat away from eternity. But why should heaven-bound believers live with one eye fixed on heaven and the other eye fixed on hell? Simply put, concentrating on heaven keeps our hearts lifted and contemplating hell keeps our feet moving. 

To cheer our troubled hearts, we should think often of that glorious place being prepared for us by Christ (John 14:2-3), and to ignite evangelistic zeal in our hearts, we should think often of that gruesome place prepared for the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41), where lost souls are headed. While enduring bitter afflictions, we should ponder the bliss and wonder of spending a never-ending eternity of worshipping Christ (Rom. 8:18), but to strengthen our resolve to preach the gospel to every creature, we should pin our thoughts to the banishment and woe of a never-ceasing eternity of enduring the wrath of God, laid up for our unbelieving friends and family members (2 Thess. 1:8-9). While we rejoice that our names are written in heaven (Luke 10:20), we must remember that the souls whose names are not found in the Lamb’s Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire forever and ever (Rev. 20:12-15), and that should compel us to preach unto them, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). While we yearn for the day when God will wipe away every tear from our eyes (Rev. 21:4), we must grieve that there is a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 13:42), to which unsaved souls around us are bound, unless they hear and believe the gospel from our lips. 

Keep both infinite oceans in view. Let heaven anchor your heart—let hell awaken your concern. Let heaven console you—let hell compel you to action. Think about the glory awaiting you, and be encouraged. Think about the gloom awaiting the unsaved, and be evangelistic.

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, 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

God’s Positioning System | Bible Gleanings | December 27-28, 2025

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Without fail, I always added a thirty minute detour when I traveled to Louisville, Kentucky for classes and conferences, all because I failed to check my GPS. As you draw closer to the city, there is a hard-to-see exit off to the right—137B to be exact—and if you don’t switch lanes early, you will miss it because of the heavy traffic. Of course, I always zipped past it due to being immersed in classic rock on the radio or an audiobook. On the bright side, I got to explore several cities I had never visited before!

It wasn’t the fault of the GPS. It told me where to go. But it was up to me whether or not I listened. The GPS always gave the right directions, but I remained in control of the car. The availability of guidance wasn’t the problem—my lack of attention was.

And the same is true while traveling the heavenbound road of righteousness. The holy Scripture is the Lord’s GPS for our lives—God’s Positioning System. It tells us where to go, where not to go, what to do, and what not to do. As the psalmist declared, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105, KJV). The prophet Isaiah echoed the same truth: “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left” (Isa. 30:21).

However, just as with a GPS, we must choose to listen to and obey the directions the Lord provides in His word. We are still behind the wheel of our own lives, and the fateful power of decision is in our hands. And we could avoid many regretful detours of disobedience if we simply heeded the guidance of God’s word. This is why the Lord gently urges us, “Listen diligently to me . . . Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live” (Isa. 55:2b-3a). And He graciously assures us, “But whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster” (Prov. 1:33).

The English hymn-writer William W. How (1823-1897) captured this wonderfully in O Word of God Incarnate, saying that the Bible

“. . . Floateth like a banner

before God’s host unfurled;

it shineth like a beacon

above the darkling world.

It is the chart and compass

that o’er life’s surging sea,

‘mid mists and rocks and quicksands,

still guides, O Christ, to Thee.”

Are you listening to your GPS?

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, 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.

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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, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, 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.

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The Bitter Cup of Legalism | Bible Gleanings | November 1-2, 2025

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Coffee was once considered the devil’s drink of choice. Because coffee was popular among Muslims who drank it to stay awake during their evening worship services, Roman Catholic Church leaders during the 16th century claimed that it was a demonic concoction “of Islamic infidels.” That is, until Pope Clement VIII gave it a taste—and it didn’t take long for him to bless the bean. “This Satan’s drink is so delicious,” he remarked, “it would be a pity to let the infidels have exclusive use of it. We shall fool Satan by baptizing it.”1 And immediately, coffee conquered the continent and flowed all the way to the mugs we fill every morning.

Coffee-hating legalists nearly missed out on one of God’s greatest gifts to mankind, and legalism continues to rob believers of God’s gifts of joy, grace, peace, and Christian liberty. Legalism, if you didn’t know, is when we add man-made rules and religious traditions to God’s word, grading our holiness and that of others based on restrictions God never gave us in the Scripture. Legalism turns us into spiritual hall monitors who police piety based on personal preferences. And legalism rears its ugly head when we measure spirituality by clothing choices, denominational traditions, worship music styles, and strict abstinence from activities not explicitly prohibited in the Bible—things like watching secular movies, wearing blue jeans to church, or enjoying classic rock music. The Pharisees of Jesus’ time were steeped in legalism, demonstrated by their indignant insinuation that His disciples were heathen-like sinners because they didn’t ceremonially wash their hands before eating (Mark 7:1-5). 

The apostle Paul warned believers about the danger of legalism in Colossians 2:20-23,

“You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires” (NLT).

Simply put, legalism may appear holy, but it does not make you holy. It may keep your hands clean, but it cannot keep your heart pure.

However, the remedy for legalism is not swerving to the opposite extreme and indulging in unrestrained and careless conduct. The solution is also not more rules—the answer is more Jesus (Col. 2:6). And we must obey the Lord out of gratitude for His saving grace (cf. 2 Cor. 5:14-15; Titus 2:11-12), and carefully assess our obedience according to what God has clearly written in His word. Additionally, we ought to enjoy and embrace the good gifts of God’s creation without guilt, and exercise wisdom while doing so. Otherwise, we will dilute the sweet cup of God’s grace and drink the bitter cup of legalism.

  1. Rick Beyer, The Greatest Stories Never Told (New York: HarperCollins, 2003), 30.

Brandon is the pastor of Bandana Baptist Church in Bandana, Kentucky, where he lives with his wife, Dakota, their much-prayed for son, Oliver, 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.