From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sun Oct 7 19:17:52 2007 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sun, 07 Oct 2007 18:17:52 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 10-08-07 God's silence -- Exodus 18:24 Message-ID: <47096920.9040002@dwightclough.com> /*Moses listened to his father-in-law [Jethro] and did everything he said. -- Exodus 18:24*/ The silence of God. No one knew God like Moses. Moses spoke with God face to face, he had a relationship with Him unparalleled in his day. Yet God never told Moses how to organize a judicial system. He was silent on that point. Why? Because God wanted Jethro to tell Moses. Jethro had administrative insight to bring to the table. I'm glad that God has put Jethros in my life. One of the most important of these advisers is my wife. She has enough common sense to know when I'm way out in left field. God knows it too, of course, but He often leaves it up to Kim to tell me. God's silence here is a great act of love. When we go looking for the answers that He graciously doesn't give us, we validate the contribution of the many Jethros God has placed in our path. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Tue Oct 9 10:06:08 2007 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Tue, 09 Oct 2007 09:06:08 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 10-09-07 Perspective -- 1 Samuel 9:7 Message-ID: <470B8AD0.50007@dwightclough.com> /*What do we have? -- 1 Samuel 9:7*/ I like this verse because it is such a good picture of where we are so often in our walk with God. We see ourselves as having so very little, while God is looking at us, shaking His head and saying, "If he only knew." "If she only understood." Clearly, Saul didn't have a clue. The donkeys were gone. The food was gone. Nothing was going his way. So it seemed. But, in reality, everything was going his way. God was about to reverse everything about his life. What do we have? While we are rummaging through our empty lunch sacks, God is arranging a feast. Just when we think our mission has failed, God is planning a coronation ceremony. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Wed Oct 10 20:04:27 2007 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 19:04:27 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 10-10-07 Starting small -- 1 Samuel 10:4 Message-ID: <470D688B.2020005@dwightclough.com> /*They will greet you and offer you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from them. -- 1 Samuel 10:4*/ Saul had just received the startling news. God had appointed him king. Samuel was laying out some predictions to confirm Saul's new identity. And then, he slips in Saul's first instruction: "...which you will accept from them." God didn't start by telling Saul to negotiate a treaty or raise an army or build a palace. He started with something simple: Someone is going to offer you a gift -- accept it. While it is true that God has given us an identity as royal sons and daughters of the High King, He knows exactly where we are in our growth toward maturity, and He builds our lives with simple instructions, step-by-step obedience. Our calling may be great, but God breaks a great life down into moment-by-moment opportunities to say, "Yes, Lord," to simple instructions. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Wed Oct 10 21:09:05 2007 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 20:09:05 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 10-11-07 Hiding places -- 1 Samuel 10:22 Message-ID: <470D77B1.2050901@dwightclough.com> /*And the Lord said, "Yes, he has hidden himself among the baggage." -- 1 Samuel 10:22*/ God knows our hiding places. In this passage, Samuel was introducing Saul to the nation of Israel as their king. As a way of confirming the anointing Saul had already received, Saul was selected by lot when all the tribes of Israel gathered at Mizpah. But, instead of stepping up to the plate, Saul hides. I wonder how God felt to see the king He had chosen hiding. Saul's response is very different than Mary's ("I am the Lord's servant; let it be unto me according to your word.") or Isaiah's ("Here am I; send me."). Why do we hide? Because we know too much of ourselves and not enough of our God. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Wed Oct 10 21:09:54 2007 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 20:09:54 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 10-12-07 Belonging Message-ID: <470D77E2.50906@dwightclough.com> /*For the sake of His great name the LORD will not reject His people, because the LORD was pleased to make you His own. -- 1 Samuel 12:22*/ All of us need to belong. From early on, if our families are strong, we gain a sense of belonging there. If not, we look elsewhere, most often to whatever peer group gives us some sense of identity. Why does it please God to invite us into the warmth of His family? And why does He put up with our failures and shortcomings? We have four children and I've changed a couple thousand diapers. That's a lot of diapers, and I don't much like dirty diapers. But, somehow, when I look into the eyes of my precious children, it never occurs to me to remember the diapers. Acceptance. It's part of who God is. No, He doesn't like the dirty diapers of sin, but He changes them when He needs to, and goes back to embracing the children He loves. Thank God we belong. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Wed Oct 10 21:10:30 2007 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 20:10:30 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 10-13-07 Rich inner life with God Message-ID: <470D7806.6040106@dwightclough.com> /*But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after His own heart and appointed him leader of His people, because you have not kept the Lord's command. -- 1 Samuel 13:14*/ I'm inclined to say, "Give Saul a break! Cut him some slack. Isn't everyone entitled to an honest mistake?" Saul offered the sacrifice, doing something Samuel was supposed to do. Should he lose a whole dynasty for that? But the key to God's choice of David over Saul is found in the middle of this verse. God was looking for a man after His own heart. Saul was a hollow man. He had nothing inside him. His relationship with God was so thin, that there was nothing for God to work with. David was captivated with God. He lay awake at night thinking about Him. His troubles and his triumphs both drove him to his knees. He started his life awestruck with God and ended his life awestruck with God. Every time we hang out with God, it counts! Not as some brownie points in heaven, but instead as time precious in God's heart and in our own. God is calling us to a rich inner life with Him. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Wed Oct 10 21:11:33 2007 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 20:11:33 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 10-14-07 Seeing beyond reality Message-ID: <470D7845.7050008@dwightclough.com> /*Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few. -- 1 Samuel 14:6*/ Jonathan seems blind to reality. The enemy has disarmed Israel, stripping them of the capacity to manufacture weapons (13:19+). Israel's unarmed army is hiding. Jonathan's father, King Saul, has just been rebuked by the prophet Samuel. Philistines are raiding the land in three detachments, apparently unchecked. The Philistines control a strategic piece of ground that can only be taken away by scaling cliffs. And the only help Jonathan has is one loyal armor bearer. I call this the landscape of our lives. Our resources sometimes wear thin, our weapons seem weak, our faults apparent, and our prospects encourage no one. I know the feeling. I've been there. I am there. But God always seems to be looking around for the person who smiles at these circumstances and says, "This is just the kind of opportunity God wants to get His hands on. Look at this! It's hopeless. It's impossible. God is going to love turning this around." May we see with Jonathan's eyes. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Oct 13 19:50:07 2007 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 13 Oct 2007 18:50:07 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 10-15-07 Moving the line Message-ID: <471159AF.3090407@dwightclough.com> /*"Why bother the Teacher any more?" -- Mark 5:35*/ While Jesus was sailing through the storm, a 12-year-old girl was getting sicker and sicker. While Jesus was delivering the man afflicted with demons, she grew weaker and weaker. Her father was frantic. Where's Jesus? Jesus finally returned, and the father pushed his way through the crowd. He rehearsed in his mind what he was going to say. "Yes, many people are sick, but you don't understand. This is my daughter." In a race against time, this father pleaded with Jesus to hurry. But what did Jesus do? He dawdled. He paused. He stopped to ask a ridiculous question, "Who touched Me?" "Hurry!" the man was screaming inside. "Don't stop now! Hurry and heal my daughter." And then, everything that man feared came crashing down on him. "Why bother the teacher any more? Your daughter is dead." I get the sense of a father reaching out for his daughter and a daughter reaching out for her father as they are pulled apart, and drawn into separate universes beyond each other's reach. Why bother the Teacher any more? It's over. It's time to give up. All of us have a line inside -- a place where hope vanishes, where we see no options, where we can think of no other recourse than to give up. Sometimes the Lord asks us to visit that place in our souls just like He had this father visit that place of giving up so many years ago. What does Jesus do? He moves the line. He says, "Don't be afraid; just believe." He says, "The child is not dead but asleep." Just before He raises the dead, He invites us to open our eyes and see that life, hope and possibility are here because Jesus is here. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Oct 13 19:51:24 2007 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 13 Oct 2007 18:51:24 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 10-16-07 Where do you meet God? Message-ID: <471159FC.7060005@dwightclough.com> /*When they walk through the Valley of Weeping,*/ /*it will become a place of refreshing springs,*/ /*where pools of blessing collect after the rains! */ /*-- Psalm 84:6 NLT*/ We all want to meet God on the mountain top. We want to see Jesus transfigured before us, in dazzling white. We want a glimpse of heaven. But life changing spiritual growth occurs not on the mountain top, but in the valley. It is in the valley, where we are cold, lonely and miserable that God wants to meet us. The servant of Elisha didn't see the armies of God until he was surrounded with the armies of men. The disciples didn't discover the Lord of peace and calm until they sailed with Him into the storm. Mary and Martha didn't discover the Resurrection and the Life until Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. When we finally do reach the mountain top, what do we see? We see the valleys of our lives spread out before us. The mountain top is glorious because there we realize that every valley had a purpose, and by walking through them we were transformed. Our tears of brokenness give way to the showers of God's love. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Oct 13 19:53:07 2007 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 13 Oct 2007 18:53:07 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 10-17-07 Finding Jesus in the storm Message-ID: <47115A63.4020209@dwightclough.com> /*"Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" -- Mark 4:38*/ I'd like to focus in on the word "care." We all know the story. The storm is out of control. Jesus is asleep. The waves are swamping the boat. The disciples are terrified. Where was God's care? In a sense, that's an unfair question, because we have a big advantage. We are looking at this storm 2000 years later. We know that God's care was there all along. The disciples didn't know how to stop the storm. So they did the only thing they knew how to do, they found Jesus inside the storm. And, when they found Jesus, they discovered that He was so much bigger than they ever imagined He could be. That, may I suggest, is why we enter storms. We enter storms not because God delights in terrifying us, but rather because He knows that we will know a bigger Jesus when we come out on the other side. Showing us how strong our Savior is -- that is God's care for us. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Oct 13 19:54:53 2007 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 13 Oct 2007 18:54:53 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 10-18-07 God's motives Message-ID: <47115ACD.9040408@dwightclough.com> /*David asked, "Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan's sake?" -- 2 Samuel 9:1*/ The kindness of God. I wonder how often God's intentions are misunderstood. In 2 Samuel 9, David is clearly established as king over Israel. He is the dominant power, not just in Israel, but in the entire region. Members of the former dynasty, the house of Saul, have nowhere to hide. If he wants to purge any potential threat of future civil war, now is his chance. But David isn't thinking in those terms. Instead, he is looking for an opportunity to show a kindness. His search takes him to a paraplegic, to Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan. The passage doesn't say, but I believe Mephibosheth must have been terrified. Even as an able-bodied man he would have been defenseless against David. David had the power to do almost anything he wanted. The only question was his motive. Likewise, God has the power to do anything He wants in our lives. The only question is His motive. I would like to suggest that God's power is complete, and His motives are filled with kindness and goodness. While there is reason to tremble at God's word, we do not cringe before God as those who do not know His motives. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Oct 13 19:55:44 2007 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 13 Oct 2007 18:55:44 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 10-19-07 Which ones? Message-ID: <47115B00.1010506@dwightclough.com> /*"Which ones?" -- Matthew 19:18*/ Jesus is so perceptive. The rich young man comes along and wants to strike a business deal with Jesus. "How can I negotiate for a share of eternal life?" he asks. Jesus gives a reply that probably no evangelical has ever repeated to a seeker, but Jesus gives it and it fits: "If you want to enter life, obey the commandments." Wait a second! we say. I thought we were saved by grace through faith, not by works. We think that salvation is free and easy, but Jesus alone among all men understands how costly salvation really is. "Obey the commandments," Jesus says. The young man's reply reveals what Jesus was after. "Which ones?" This young man was not embracing God. He was wheeling and dealing with God. By contrast, David delighted in God's commands because his heart was where God's heart was. For David, the law was a voyage of discovery revealing the God he worshiped and loved. For this young man, the commandments were part of a contract that got him what he wanted. He wanted a manageable set of contract requirements. Jesus was looking for a way into this young man's heart. He wanted something more than the young man's name on a roster. He wanted the young man himself. He isn't in the business of passing out free tickets to heaven. Rather He is is redeeming whole human beings. God wants all of me and He wants all of you. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Oct 13 19:56:21 2007 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 13 Oct 2007 18:56:21 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 10-20-07 Our desires Message-ID: <47115B25.7000306@dwightclough.com> /*He satisfies your desires with good things. -- Psalm 103:5 */ The verse does not say that God satisfies our good desires. It says that He satisfies our desires with good things. That's why I take all my rotten desires to God. Desires I would hate to share with you, I freely confess to God. I know He won't give me what I want. And we can be happy about that, because the Bible promises He will give us something far better. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Oct 13 19:57:02 2007 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 13 Oct 2007 18:57:02 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 10-21-07 Repairing the wounded heart Message-ID: <47115B4E.80106@dwightclough.com> /*"Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you." -- Mark 5:19*/ The man Jesus delivered from a legion of demons begged to go with the Lord and His disciples. But Jesus turned him down. Think for a moment about what Jesus was turning down. This man would probably be a loyal follower who would stand by Jesus no matter what. More than that, he would be great PR, a wonderful credibility builder. But Jesus said no. Go home. People are more important than publicity. There is an order in God's plan. First, He rebuilds a life. Second, He rebuilds the family. Third, He rebuilds the community. Many people are trying to fix their marriage or their parenting or their church. But Jesus starts by repairing the wounded heart. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Mon Oct 22 12:07:17 2007 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2007 11:07:17 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 10-22-07 The funnel - John 15:5 Message-ID: <471CCAB5.30400@dwightclough.com> Our guest author today is Chris Breen. She sent me these thoughts some time ago, and I wanted to share them with you. /*Apart from Me, you can do nothing. - John 15:5*/ God places us in a funnel. By allowing circumstances and people to pressure us, He eventually moves us into the neck of the funnel, where there is only me and Christ. He squeezes all effort, all religion, all ability, all knowledge out of us, to bring us face to face with our absolute inadequacy apart from Him. Nothing that comes into our life catches Him by surprise. He has set our path before us, and, in His sovereignty, knows the whys. He knows what will come to bring us into the funnel with him, down into the neck, and deep into His Life. Trust Him for the process and leave all questions with His glorious wisdom. Be encouraged! Dwight 10-22-07 The funnel/* - John 15:5*/ Our guest author today is Chris Breen. She sent me these thoughts some time ago, and I wanted to share them with you. /*Apart from Me, you can do nothing. - John 15:5*/ God places us in a funnel. By allowing circumstances and people to pressure us, He eventually moves us into the neck of the funnel, where there is only me and Christ. He squeezes all effort, all religion, all ability, all knowledge out of us, to bring us face to face with our absolute inadequacy apart from Him. Nothing that comes into our life catches Him by surprise. He has set our path before us, and, in His sovereignty, knows the whys. He knows what will come to bring us into the funnel with him, down into the neck, and deep into His Life. Trust Him for the process and leave all questions with His glorious wisdom. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Mon Oct 22 12:08:31 2007 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2007 11:08:31 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 10-23-07 Lessons - 2 Corinthians 12:9 Message-ID: <471CCAFF.9060007@dwightclough.com> /*... My power is made perfect in weakness. - 2 Corinthians 12:9*/ As I exit my 40's today, I want to share a few things that I probably knew in my twenties, but only really understood when I got a little older. It's trite, but I've had to come back to this a thousand times: Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care. And, along with that, if you don't take the time to learn the other person's language, he or she will never know how much you care. Everybody's deepest secrets are about the same. We all have something that we fear. We all have something that we don't like about ourselves. To survive, we all have made decisions, some of which we now wish we could take back. We all have our dreams, but most of them are hidden. Knowing that gives me a sense of connection with you and with everybody that my life touches. Christianity isn't for the alpha dog, the one who gets intoxicated by setting and achieving goals. Rather, Jesus is for the rest of us -- those of us who can't get it right no matter how hard we try. He is for the desperate, the helpless, the weak and those among us who finally wake up and realize we are human. As Paul discovered, that's where the real strength is. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Mon Oct 22 12:10:27 2007 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2007 11:10:27 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 10-24-07 Getting to joy- Galatians 5:22 Message-ID: <471CCB73.1070309@dwightclough.com> /*... the fruit of the Spirit is ... joy ... - Galatians 5:22*/ Well, folks, today is my 50^th birthday. Ancient to some of you, spring chicken to others. To me, it's quite a journey. I can be a natural pessimist. Like someone on the web wrote about Eyeore, I can "find the dark cloud behind every silver lining." As I look over my life, there are so many reasons why I wish I could go back to my twenties. I wish I could push "rewind." But, of course, I can't. One day I was feeling a deep sadness about all this. I was trying to explain it all to God, and to myself. After listening to me for a while, the Lord spoke to me and said, "You're only going to be old once. After that, you'll be young forever." When God speaks to me, I almost always start laughing. Here's why. As soon as I get to God, all of my melancholy despair dissolves into His ocean of joy. "What are you worried about, Dwight? The next fifty years are going to be an adventure just like the first fifty were. Come on, take My hand, this is going to be fun." And so, I say to you, enjoy the adventure. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Mon Oct 22 12:11:07 2007 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2007 11:11:07 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 10-25-07 Jesus went through the storm - Mark 5:5 Message-ID: <471CCB9B.9030909@dwightclough.com> /*Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. - Mark 5:5*/ We arrive here just after the storm on the Sea of Galilee. Jesus calmed the wind and the waves. I think we all remember that God brought the disciples through the storm so they might see a clearer picture of who Jesus is. Today I'd like to look at the storm from the perspective of this desperate, demonized man. Here is a man who was in torment. He had no rest day or night. He was driven away from people and had no one to share his suffering with. He was lonely and in terrible pain. Jesus went through the storm for him. Jesus left crowds that were clamoring to hear his teaching. He left sick people who had not yet been made well. He went all the way across the lake, through a terrible storm, in order to touch this one man. This man was naked and bleeding, dirty and disgusting to everyone. But Jesus didn't cross the lake to shame him. He didn't blame or condemn him for having demons. All I see in Him is great compassion. Many of us carry burdens, secret shame, buried fears, aching loneliness. If that is you, here is my word to you: Jesus went through the storm for you. He has crossed over to your side of the lake. He is here to set you free. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Mon Oct 22 12:11:44 2007 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2007 11:11:44 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 10-26-07 The song of God's love - Mark 5:19 Message-ID: <471CCBC0.2050500@dwightclough.com> /*"Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you." - Mark 5:19*/ Jesus sent this man home with a story, not with a theology text. God works inside the stories of our lives and then sends us to those we love with the compelling story of what He has done. You can argue with theology -- and people usually do. But it's hard to argue with a story. So let me tell you a short story. One day, a friend was praying with me about a hurting place in my heart. As we lifted this hurt up to the Lord, I felt that He said to me, "The song of my love for you is all around you. Listen, and you will hear it." So let that be my word to you today: "Listen for the song of God's love for you." Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Mon Oct 22 12:12:20 2007 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2007 11:12:20 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 10-27-07 What do you have? - Mark 6:38 Message-ID: <471CCBE4.3080804@dwightclough.com> /*"How many loaves do you have?" He asked. "Go and see." - Mark 6:38*/ It's easy to focus on our lack. We don't have enough money. We don't have enough time. We don't have enough experience. And so on. But Jesus turns the question around. "How much do you have?" He asks. To Moses, God asked, "What is that in your hand?" Moses thought it was just a stick, but God saw that it would split an ocean in two. Each of us has something to offer. It may seem small. It may seem insignificant. But miracles grow out of what we have, when we offer what we have to God. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Mon Oct 22 12:13:10 2007 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2007 11:13:10 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 10-28-07 Counting - 1 Samuel 13:15 Message-ID: <471CCC16.3030302@dwightclough.com> /*Saul counted the men who were with him. They numbered about six hundred. - 1 Samuel 13:15*/ What was Saul counting? It doesn't take a mathematical genius to realize that he had twice as many men as Gideon did, when Gideon put the Midianites to flight (Judges 7). What was he counting? If he was trying to number his assets, they were as thin as his relationship with God. Clearly he was counting the wrong thing. What he needed was the presence of God, not more men. God really doesn't care how many men we have, or how many loaves and fishes are available, or how strong the enemy claims to be. Those things don't figure into the equation. How much room do we have in our hearts for Him? That's all God needs. He can work the rest on His own. I'm glad God wins, aren't you? Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Mon Oct 29 11:29:44 2007 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 10:29:44 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 10-29-07 A request for candy -- Mark 8:12 Message-ID: <4725FC68.8000401@dwightclough.com> /A big "thank you" to the 45 people who came to my "surprise" birthday party yesterday. (I now have enough chocolate to last me for several weeks!) I really enjoyed spending time with each of you. It was so nice to sit across from you, look you in the eye, and let you know how much I appreciate you. Thanks for being my friends. I also know that many others of you wanted to be here but couldn't - thank you so much for the cards, the emails, the calls and the prayers. //I wrote the following devotional about four years ago, and things haven't changed!/ /*"Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it." -- Mark 8:12*/ Jesus had just finished feeding four thousand people out in the wilderness. He healed people by the thousands. He drove out demons and raised the dead. But none of this was good enough for these religionists who requested a sign. They wanted God to play ball by their rules, to wait on their table. Sometimes we try to manipulate God. We try to force Him back into the box that makes our religion comfortable and entertaining. I know I certainly do. I plead with Him to answer my prayers the way I want them answered. It doesn't work, of course. No amount of manipulation and pleading will make God any more loving, any more wise, any more faithful, any more perfect than He already is. I see people with pain and problems and I want comfort and deliverance to arrive NOW. My five year old daughter just interrupted me. "Daddy, you have candy in your office. You said we could have candy later. It's later NOW." I know she wants candy. I'm glad she asked for it. And I will give her some. But not right now. First, I'm going to make lunch. God has heard your request. Now He will do what is best. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Mon Oct 29 11:31:18 2007 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 10:31:18 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 10-30-07 Graduate level testing -- 2 Chronicles 25:20 Message-ID: <4725FCC6.4010504@dwightclough.com> /*Amaziah, however, would not listen, for God so worked that He might hand them over to Jeohash, because they sought the gods of Edom. -- 2 Chronicles 25:20*/ God doesn't trust just anybody to lead His people. Sooner or later he will put that leader to the test, and that test will reveal the character of the leader. King Amaziah is a case in point. About 130 years after the nation of Israel divided into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah, Amaziah becomes king of Judah. He attempts to consolidate his power by hiring a mercenary army from the northern kingdom of Israel to help him regain control of the nearby nation of Edom. Wrong move! A prophet instructs King Amaziah to release these 100,000 mercenaries, forfeiting the almost four tons of silver the king paid to hire them. Amaziah dismisses the mercenaries and they are ticked! So, while Amaziah and his men are fighting Edom, the dismissed soldiers raid the towns of Judah, kill 3,000 people and carry off plunder. What a mess! Amaziah's obedience, it seemed, brings both victory and defeat, both honor and tragedy. This is the kind of gauntlet that great men and women of God pass through. Will they trust God when God doesn't make sense? Amaziah's answer, regrettably, is no. He rejects God, turns to the gods of defeated Edom, tries to pick a fight with the northern Kingdom of Israel, loses, accomplishes nothing more worth mentioning, and dies of assassination. What went wrong? I believe God was giving Amaziah the opportunity to become one of the greatest kings of all time. But when Amaziah's cards were dealt, he played them poorly, running away from God rather than running toward Him. If you are a leader of a family, a ministry, a church and the heat is on, please understand that God wants you to succeed. You may be experiencing graduate level testing, but God wants to skim off all the impurities that surface and make you into the man or woman of God He designed you to be. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Mon Oct 29 11:32:25 2007 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 10:32:25 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 10-31-07 Our new identity -- 1 Samuel 6:20 Message-ID: <4725FD09.20207@dwightclough.com> /*"Who can stand in the presence of the LORD, this holy God?" -- 1 Samuel 6:20*/ Sadly, many needed to die before people began to wake up to reality: God is holy. Israelites died in battle because their leaders had no regard for the Lord. Philistines died of plagues because they thought the ark of God was booty, a plaything for their people and their god. And now the men of Beth Shemesh die because they had the presumption to think their eyes had the right to pry into the secrets of God's ark. For so many years God posted "Off Limits" and "No Trespassing" signs around His presence. Then Jesus died and the curtain of the temple was torn from top to bottom. The signs were changed. The signs now read "Yet There Is Room." What changed? Did people suddenly get better? Or did God lower His standards? Neither, of course. God just set into motion His plan to make us like Him: holy. That is why the whole focus of our Christian lives is about living out our new identity as saints - "holy ones." Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Mon Oct 29 11:33:08 2007 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 10:33:08 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 11-01-07 Lazy? -- Exodus 5:8 Message-ID: <4725FD34.2040104@dwightclough.com> /I originally sent this devotional out exactly five years ago today. This is one of the most misunderstood concepts in all of Christendom. God is not trying to build an army of exhausted, try harder Christians. On the contrary, Jesus came to free us from slavery. The best thing you can do is let yourself be loved by God. Everything else flows out of that./ /*They are lazy. -- Exodus 5:8*/ Do you want to be a better Christian? Try harder. This advice is ubiquitous, but where does it come from? Doesn't it come from Pharaoh? Pharaoh says, "Oh, you don't like being slaves? Try harder. Supply your own straw for making bricks. Try harder. Don't reduce your quota. Try harder." God is not another pharaoh. When we crossed the Red Sea, we stepped into freedom. God has done the hard work. As Jesus said, our work is to believe (John 6:29). Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Mon Oct 29 11:33:55 2007 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 10:33:55 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 11-02-07 Miracles for the mistaken -- Joshua 10:12 Message-ID: <4725FD63.2000608@dwightclough.com> /Again, another all time favorite. I remember a conversation with my wife's grandmother, a rather staunch German Mennonite. I said to her, "I am so glad that God is tolerant." At first she was affronted by that. But then, as we talked we both realized that if God wasn't tolerant, neither one of us would be there. God works with regular human beings who make lots of mistakes. In fact, that's what He specializes in doing./ /*"O sun, stand still ... " -- Joshua 10:12*/ I'm always struck by this passage. Joshua gives a command to the heavenly bodies, and God rearranges the laws of physics so that they obey him. It's one of the greatest miracles in all of scripture. In its scientific magnitude, it is an even greater miracle than the parting of the Red Sea. But that isn't the main reason I'm so taken by what happened here. I'm struck by the context. Joshua just blew it. The Gibeonites, posing as distant travelers, deceived Joshua and the other leaders into making a prohibited treaty with them. Joshua was clearly negligent for failing to inquire of the Lord before ratifying the treaty. Now, here in chapter 10, he's dealing with the aftermath of his mistake. The Gibeonites are in trouble; Joshua and all Israel are called upon to save them. God could have washed His hands of the entire affair. He could have said, "You got yourself into this mess; you get yourself out of it. Don't look to Me to help you defend these wicked Gibeonites." But He doesn't do anything of the sort. God is a God of people who make mistakes, people who blow it, people who mess up. I don't like making mistakes, but when I do, God gently reminds me that the work of God isn't about me and how perfect I am; rather, it is about the God who shows up despite our failings. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Mon Oct 29 11:34:40 2007 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 10:34:40 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 11-03-07 Plenty of time -- Psalm 23:1 Message-ID: <4725FD90.8090302@dwightclough.com> /Okay, everybody. I need this one. Time is my biggest challenge. But every time I enter the presence of God, I realize that there is no shortage of time./ /*The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in want. -- Psalm 23:1*/ We imagine ourselves to be very busy and terribly short on time. We must understand that this is a lie. God is not stingy. He has not shortchanged us on time. We have time in abundance. It is a joy and a privilege to finish a task, but God will release us from every unfinished work that didn't fit into His perfect plan. We have time for God-ordained interruptions, time for acts of kindness, time for wonder and reflection. As it says in Ecclesiastes 3, there is a time for everything. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Mon Oct 29 11:35:27 2007 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 10:35:27 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 11-04-07 Light for every man -- John 1:9 Message-ID: <4725FDBF.8050704@dwightclough.com> /*The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. -- John 1:9*/ How much light does it take to see? Not much. At night, I move around the house with only a dim night light. I've walked outside with only the light of the moon and a few stars. I like plenty of light. Especially when I'm trying to clean; I mean you have to be able to see the dirt to remove it. But, to survive, you don't need much light. What am I saying? It's very clear that not everybody gets the same amount of light. Some people are bathed in the knowledge of the glory of God. Some live in deep darkness. But, to each person, some light is given. This verse tells us that. Though many people are extraordinarily evil, and though darkness seems to go from bad to worse, that God still somehow seems to navigate through all of that and bring some light to every man. Wherever sin is at work, grace is also at work. People are troubled by the question, "What about those who have never heard the gospel?" That is a troubling question, because God wants people to hear. The church has paid with blood so that people can hear. But God is not without resources. To each one, some light has been given. Even those who have never heard the name of Jesus are illuminated by the light of His entrance into our world. The point is, God is not stuck with a problem He can't solve. Whether through opposition or neglect, some will never hear the gospel. Their lives are not evidence of some flaw in God's plan or of some inadequacy in His management of the universe. Rather, God has worked out every contingency so we can leave this troubling question with Him, and turn back to the task of winning our world for Christ. Be encouraged! Dwight You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a reference or link back to _DwightClough.com_ is included. Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc. 1223 West Main Street #228 Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations. Visit _www.DwightClough.com_ for more information. Change your subscription: _http://six.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/discoveries_ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: