[Discoveries] 09-02-08 Big Idea #2 -- John 9:3

[Inspiration in Your Inbox]

"/*Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this 
happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life." -- 
John 9:3*/

Big Idea #2: God's goodness is more important than our badness.

This is the foundation upon which this devotional rests. We will be 
further ahead if we put our focus on what God is doing right instead of 
what man is doing wrong.

This is one of the many lessons I learned the hard way. Years ago all I 
could see was the wrong -- the wrong in me and the wrong in everyone 
else. I thought this was a mark of spirituality -- recognizing sin and 
false doctrine, finding the faults from which we needed to repent. And, 
of course, there is a place for that. But I didn't comprehend that there 
was anything more to the Christian life.

You would think that all this attention to sin would cause me to purify 
my life and get rid of all known sins. But, in reality, the opposite 
happened. The more I focused on everything that was wrong, the more 
bitter, impure, and cynical my thoughts became. I finally came to the 
point where I gave up on myself.

The verse that "saved" me was Philippians 1:6: "...being confident of 
this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to 
completion until the day of Christ Jesus." No longer was Dwight Clough 
going to accomplish anything great for God. No longer was Dwight Clough 
some kind of man of God. I knew better. But I began to realize that 
there was something greater than my apathy, my rebellion, my impurity, 
my anger, my fears. I began to realize that I was in the hands of God. 
God's work in me was the thing to celebrate, not my work for Him. I 
might blow it. But God doesn't blow it. He never makes any mistakes.

God is so much older and smarter than we are. He runs circles around our 
enemy. He knows exactly how to deliver us from all our sins and 
problems. Stop and think about it. He's been doing this for a long, long 
time. He's very, very good at what He does. God is not so weak that He 
ran out of energy after He figured out a way to save us from hell. He 
has all kinds of energy and ingenuity left over to save us from anything 
else that might be going wrong.

God is doing a great work inside you. Do you know that God's work inside 
you will be on display for all eternity? The seraphim knew that the 
whole earth is filled with God's glory. How did they know? Because His 
glory is being revealed in the people He redeemed.

Be encouraged!
Dwight

What happens when you partner with Dwight Clough Ministries? Victims of 
violent crimes and survivors of abuse are finding peace, wholeness, the 
power to forgive and the strength to set boundaries. Those ensnared by 
addictions are finding freedom. Marriages are being restored. Families 
are strengthened. Christian brothers and sisters in restricted lands who 
face persecution are finding strength and encouragement. Young believers 
are learning how to walk with the Lord, and people are coming into the 
faith for the first time. None of this happens as a result of one 
person's efforts, but rather this is God's work as He blesses the 
sacrifice of many people including yourself. We partner with you, with 
other ministries, and, most significantly, with the Lord. That's how the 
supernatural happens.

You may freely post, reprint or redistribute this devotional provided a 
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<http://www.dwightclough.com> is included.

Discoveries Devotional -- Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by
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Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA
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