From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Feb 2 13:04:18 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 02 Feb 2008 12:04:18 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] =?windows-1252?q?02-04-08_Safety_=96_Jude_1=3A24?= Message-ID: <47A4B0A2.3040804@dwightclough.com> *Do your friends know about ?Discoveries ? Inspiration in Your Inbox? Devotionals? * *Feel free to pass these messages on to them. They can learn more at http://www.dwightclough.com/discoveries.php* /*To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy ... -- Jude 1:24 */ When my children were little, if they wandered away, where would I go? After them, of course. If I saw them do something that would harm them, what would I do? Intervene. Pull them back. Make them safe. Keep them on the right track. When I was a little boy first starting school, one of my biggest fears was that I would get on the wrong school bus and never make it home. Now that I'm a man, I find myself often in uncharted territory in relationships, in business, in ministry, in my work on EmpowerGood.com. A friend and I were praying about this, and the Lord shared something with me that I want to pass on to you. God is watching over me. He didn't let me get on the wrong bus in Kindergarten, and He isn't going to let me get on the wrong bus now. If you fear that you have taken the wrong bus, or if you fear that you might, let me reassure you. God is here, redeeming, repairing, rebuilding, restoring, guiding and keeping us safe. He isn't here to let His precious children wander away. 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 Feb 2 13:04:56 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 02 Feb 2008 12:04:56 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 02-05-08 Creative solutions -- Matthew 17:27 Message-ID: <47A4B0C8.1000002@dwightclough.com> /*Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for My tax and yours. -- Matthew 17:27*/ This being tax season here in the US, I thought we'd get the Lord's perspective on taxes. First of all, nobody seemed to have the money to pay the tax. Many of us can relate. Second, Jesus wasn't upset by the lack. That is encouraging. Third, God always has a creative solution. In this case, He sent Peter fishing. 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 Feb 2 13:05:34 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 02 Feb 2008 12:05:34 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 02-06-08 The triumph of God-- Proverbs 21:30 Message-ID: <47A4B0EE.6030103@dwightclough.com> /*There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord. -- Proverbs 21:30*/ Life is not so much our heroics as it is the triumph of God. History is the record of the failed attempts of the enemy to get the best of God. The enemy does his worst, and God is not the least bit threatened by it. For over 4,000 years Satan wanted to get his hands on a fragile God. He finally got his chance at the cross. Jesus was crucified in weakness. But Satan's greatest triumph quickly became his greatest defeat. There are many fragile people in the world whose names are written in heaven. They stumble and shake on the outside. But inside is the indestructible, undefeatable Spirit of God. Our side wins. 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 Feb 2 13:06:03 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 02 Feb 2008 12:06:03 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 02-07-08 God's servants -- 1 Kings 22:19 Message-ID: <47A4B10B.2080600@dwightclough.com> /*I saw the LORD sitting on His throne with all the host of heaven standing around Him on His right and on His left. -- 1 Kings 22:19*/ I can't prove this, but I think the group that stood before the Lord was probably good angels and bad. I think the good angels stood on one side and the bad angels stood on the other side, and the LORD sat and talked to all of them. If this is true (read the chapter and decide for yourself), then notice that God is in charge. God was rerouting the sinful plans of evil creatures to accomplish His own purposes. He listened to suggestions from both sides and opened the door for a lying spirit to spread lies through the prophets of an evil king. A good prophet comes along and tells the king the truth, but, of course, the king doesn't listen, and pays with his life for his decision. So we learn two things here. First, evil collapses upon itself. Evil only harmed evil. Second, God created angels to be His servants, and even though some of them fell into sin and chose evil, they do not cease to serve 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 Sat Feb 2 13:06:38 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 02 Feb 2008 12:06:38 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 02-08-08 God's will -- 1 Kings 22:20 Message-ID: <47A4B12E.7060904@dwightclough.com> /*One suggested this, and another that. -- 1 Kings 22:20*/ God's will, it seems, is a collaborative matter. God solicits ideas, suggestions. Sometimes I would like God to just "tell me what to do." But He often puts the ball back in my court. "What do you want to do?" He asks. God manages the smallest details without being a micromanager. He created creatures with intellect and emotion, and He engages us as He makes decisions. This is not a boot camp, it is a dance. 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 Feb 2 13:07:18 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 02 Feb 2008 12:07:18 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 02-09-08 What do you know to be true? -- Acts 4:28 Message-ID: <47A4B156.2070103@dwightclough.com> /*They did what Your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. -- Acts 4:28*/ Nobody wins a fight against God. Herod and Pilate thought they were coming up with original moves on the cosmic chessboard, but they were playing right into God's plan. This verse is part of the believer's prayer after the apostles were arrested, threatened and then released. They prayed for boldness, reminding themselves that they're on the winning side. Sometimes when I'm praying I just get lost -- I'm not sure what to pray about or how to pray. That probably never happens to you, but it happens to me. So I look to God and He often seems to say, "What do you know to be true?" That's where I pick up the thread. I may have all sorts of needs, but my God is bigger than all my problems. I can't figure out where to turn, but He knows the end from the beginning. He is my Shepherd. I shall not be in want. 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 Feb 2 13:07:49 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 02 Feb 2008 12:07:49 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 02-10-08 The beginning -- Genesis 1:1 Message-ID: <47A4B175.1050204@dwightclough.com> /*In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. -- Genesis 1:1*/ The Bible starts where it should: in the beginning. By kicking off the most important book in history with these words, God tells us something: We need to pay attention to where things started. God cares about how things began. Do you have a problem? If you go to God for the solution, He will probably take you back to where the problem began, there you and He will correct it together. Go back far enough, and you will find God. And, if you need it, you will also find a new beginning. 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 Feb 9 12:22:18 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 09 Feb 2008 11:22:18 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 02-11-08 Ready -- Genesis 1:2 Message-ID: <47ADE14A.2040600@dwightclough.com> *Do your friends know about "Discoveries -- Inspiration in Your Inbox" Devotionals? * *Feel free to pass these messages on to them. They can learn more at http://www.dwightclough.com/discoveries.php* /*Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. -- Genesis 1:2*/ Four years ago I was getting ready to write a devotional on this verse. My then 12-year old daughter came into my office at that moment and asked if she could help. "Do you have any thoughts on this verse," I asked. She looked at it and said, "It sounds like somebody's life before they become a Christian. God is there waiting and ready." Couldn't have said it better myself. No matter how messed up things are, God is there, waiting and ready -- ready for verse 3 -- ready to bring the light. 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 Feb 9 12:23:06 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 09 Feb 2008 11:23:06 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 02-12-08 God saw -- Genesis 1:4 Message-ID: <47ADE17A.6030901@dwightclough.com> /*God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. -- Genesis 1:4*/ God "saw" that the light was good. Didn't He know? Yes, He knew before He created the light that it would be good. But He wanted more than knowing. He wanted to experience it. So He brought light into being and saw that it was good. Just as the Bible invites us to "taste and see that God is good," so also God wants to experience us. He knows us inside and out, but that isn't enough for Him. He created us, He redeemed us, He pursues us because He wants more than knowing. Before I married Kim I knew that she was godly, sweet and beautiful. So why bother marrying her? Because what was then just a thought is now every day an experience, a discovery, an enrichment. In the same way God desires to share life with 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 Feb 9 12:23:43 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 09 Feb 2008 11:23:43 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 02-13-08 Let them rule ... -- Genesis 1:26 Message-ID: <47ADE19F.6020601@dwightclough.com> /*Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule ... " -- Genesis 1:26*/ God intended for us to rule, to "have dominion." This point is lost on many people -- and I didn't understand it for many years. I always defined my relationship with God by my obedience. Was I a good boy or a bad boy? Deep inside I figured God wanted someone to boss around -- and that someone was me, if I was good. Should we be obedient? Of course. Is God in charge? Without a doubt. But limiting our Christian experience to "trust and obey" bleeds a lot of life out of what is supposed to be a rich relationship with God. God's plan for us is much broader, deeper and richer than just obeying orders. God wants us to experience, to desire, to enjoy, to love, to feel loved (the list goes on ...) and to rule. God wants us in charge of a few things. He has given us authority -- and when we lost it in the garden, Jesus paid dearly to win it back on the cross. We are seated with Christ in heavenly places partly because He wants us there, and partly because we are intended for leadership. 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 Feb 9 12:24:35 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 09 Feb 2008 11:24:35 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 02-14-08 ... all their vast array -- Genesis 2:1 Message-ID: <47ADE1D3.8000806@dwightclough.com> /*Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. -- Genesis 2:1*/ For my devotional today, I'm going to refer you to a secular site: http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/primer/java/scienceopticsu/powersof10/ God doesn't need the heavens, of course. But we need the heavens and the earth to begin to comprehend who God is. The same God who arranged the galaxies, has a lofty plan that includes us. The God who shaped the earth is shaping our lives. The God who weaved together strands of DNA, is weaving our circumstances with His love. And the God who built protons and neutrons and sent electrons flying around them is the One who cares about the tiniest detail of our lives. 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 Feb 9 12:25:09 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 09 Feb 2008 11:25:09 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 02-15-08 The seventh day -- Genesis 2:2-3 Message-ID: <47ADE1F5.4050902@dwightclough.com> /*By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all His work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done. -- Genesis 2:2-3*/ There's something nice about closure. When the dishes are all washed and put away. When you climb into bed at night with a sense of satisfaction over a job well done. When the storm is over and the air is sweet and clean. Each of us has been given an assignment of eternal significance. The work we do is meant to last forever. Not making widgets, or answering the phone, or doing power lunches. But rather the power of the presence of God within us. The ripples of our influence are meant to never end. Because of Who resides within us, there is no way to measure the significance of our work. But, in keeping with God's design, our work will end someday, and we will rest just as God did. Let me say this to encourage those of you who may feel like you are spinning your wheels and going no where. You are on assignment. Most of what you accomplish will be unseen by men, but never forgotten by God. Hang in there. Your work matters and it will soon be over. The day of rest is coming. 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 Feb 9 12:25:50 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 09 Feb 2008 11:25:50 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 02-16-08 God planted a garden -- Genesis 2:7 from the Jubilee Bible Message-ID: <47ADE21E.2030800@dwightclough.com> /*And the LORD God had planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. -- Genesis 2:7 from the Jubilee Bible*/ I want to focus on the words "had planted." God was ready for Adam and He is ready for us. He has planted a "garden" designed just for us. My wife knows that I love her oatmeal cookies. I've never tasted anything that remotely compares to them. So last night she stayed up late making me oatmeal cookies while I slept. It was a thoughtful act of love, and I felt honored by her consideration. Who can measure the good that God has stored up for us? Who knows what lies right around the corner for the sons and daughters of 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 Sat Feb 9 12:26:24 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 09 Feb 2008 11:26:24 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 02-17-08 The first command -- Genesis 2:16 Message-ID: <47ADE240.2040601@dwightclough.com> /*And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free ... " -- Genesis 2:16*/ What was he free to do? I love watching little children play. The moments come and go with spicy unpredictability -- running barefoot through mud puddles, storing dragon's treasure in the refrigerator, digging up rocks from the garden and purifying them in the bathtub. "How 'bout this!" is what my kids used to say, just before they make up some new twist to an old game of pretend. God's first command to the human race starts with His enjoyment of our spontaneity. "You are free," He says. And with a twinkle in our eye and a smile on our face, we reply, "How 'bout this!" 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 Feb 16 10:13:30 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2008 09:13:30 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 02-18-08 The impossible gift -- Genesis 2:21 Message-ID: <47B6FD9A.1070104@dwightclough.com> *Do your friends know about "Discoveries -- Inspiration in Your Inbox" Devotionals? * *Feel free to pass these messages on to them. They can learn more at http://www.dwightclough.com/discoveries.php* /*So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep ... -- Genesis 2:21*/ Adam had a big job, naming all the animals. But the harder he worked, the more he realized that there was something he could not do -- he could not come up with a companion that reflected back the image of God. The animals were a work of wonder, but none of them contained the very breath of God. Nor could Adam fashion this companion himself. Unlike the Almighty, he could not gather together the dust of the ground, and breathe life into art. This was a task way, way beyond him. But look what God did. God put Adam in a deep sleep. And from his position of utter helplessness, Adam awoke to the greatest miracle of creation. Now humanity was complete. Now Adam and his "suitable helper" (the words seem cheap) could bring forth children stamped with the image of God. Two lessons: First, when we set out to do the impossible, sooner or later God will put us in a deep sleep -- that is, He will get us out of the way so He can do what only He can do. And second, look at the miracle of what God has done -- and celebrate it every time you see a child; God has given us the gift of creation. 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 Feb 16 10:14:02 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2008 09:14:02 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 02-19-08 God hears -- Genesis 4:10 Message-ID: <47B6FDBA.5040406@dwightclough.com> /*"Your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground." -- Genesis 4:10*/ God is the One who listens to the cries of those who have been silenced. I am at times angered, horrified, discouraged or numb over the suffering of my brothers and sisters, young and old all over the world. But I keep coming back to God, and here, at the beginning, He declares Himself. Every drop of blood cries out, and God hears those cries. The world, in its hatred of God, tries in every way to silence the voices of His children. But those voices will be heard, and their cries will never be forgotten. 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 Feb 16 10:14:31 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2008 09:14:31 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 02-20-08 Walking with God -- Genesis 5:22 Message-ID: <47B6FDD7.6090002@dwightclough.com> /*And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. -- Genesis 5:22*/ I've often wondered about the time from Adam to Noah. What was life like? Think about it. In our world, it takes 1-15 years to become proficient at a profession. To take out 15 years, for example, to become a neurosurgeon, you are committed to that path probably for life. But if you live to be 800 years old, you could learn to be a surgeon, a plumber, an attorney, a writer, an architect -- whatever -- you could be all of those things. And if childbearing years stretched into the centuries, a couple might have over a hundred children. You can see why it says that people built cities. They needed cities to contain the tens of thousands of descendants they would see during their own lifetime. We think of this time as being primitive, but we don't know that. It may very well have been more advanced in many technologies than we are now. In the middle of these centuries, a pivotal figure emerges. Enoch, the seventh from Adam. He may have had a hundred children. He may have been a surgeon, an attorney, a prophet, an architect, and who knows what all else rolled up into one. But one thing mattered above everything else: He walked with God. This is one thing I appreciate about our Father in heaven. There are many things that may be beyond the reach of most of us. But God makes the thing that matters most easy to find. He put it on the lower shelf so all of us can reach it. He opens the door, holds out His hand and says, "Let's take a walk." 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 Feb 16 10:15:06 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2008 09:15:06 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 02-21-08 Comfort -- Genesis 5:28-29 Message-ID: <47B6FDFA.3080707@dwightclough.com> /*When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. He named him Noah and said, "He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the LORD has cursed." -- Genesis 5:28-29*/ We look for comfort in strange places. My first response when I read this is to say, "Asking a child to bring comfort to the parents is a laying a heavy burden on a child. Shouldn't it be the other way around?" It appears that Lamech is saying, "God has cursed the ground. That hurts us. That puts God against us. So we cannot go to God for comfort because God is only interested in our discomfort. We cannot find comfort in ourselves. So the only thing we have left is our children." Us vs. God. The classic lie. God won't help us so we need to look elsewhere. I don't know. Maybe Lamech's thoughts were more lofty than I give him credit for. But look at what God did with Lamech's words. Noah did bring comfort, though in a far different way than Lamech must have imagined. Noah brought the human race to the other side of the flood, to a place where violence no longer covered the earth. There, on the other side of the flood, Noah built an altar to the LORD, replacing murder with worship. And God responded by bringing the comfort that could only come from God. In Genesis 8:21, "The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in His heart: 'Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood.'" Even when we look elsewhere for our comfort, in the end it will come from 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 Sat Feb 16 10:15:36 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2008 09:15:36 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 02-22-08 Boundaries -- Genesis 6:3 Message-ID: <47B6FE18.2040303@dwightclough.com> /*"My Spirit will not contend with man forever ... " -- Genesis 6:3*/ Everyone needs boundaries, and even God sets boundaries for Himself. There is a limit to what He will put up with. This is a great comfort. The more we learn about what evil exists in this world, the more disgusting and overwhelming it may seem. But the time will come when God says, "Enough is enough." Like every boundary, there are two sides. On this side of the boundary, God limits Himself. If we open the door, God walks in. If we slam it shut, He stays out. Here God contends with men and women, navigating through the choices made in a fallen world. But on the other side of the boundary, God stops contending. The die is cast. We are revealed for who we truly are, and eternity awaits. Every day I think about our brothers and sisters who suffer persecution because of who they are in Christ. All of us suffer with them; all of us feel their pain. But God has declared that He will not contend forever. Soon comes the freedom of the sons and daughters of 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 Sat Feb 16 10:16:04 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2008 09:16:04 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 02-23-08 Understanding -- Genesis 6:4 Message-ID: <47B6FE34.1090803@dwightclough.com> /*The Nephilim were on the earth in those days -- and also afterward -- when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown. -- Genesis 6:4*/ Okay, okay, what is this verse talking about? Who are the sons of God? Who are the daughters of men? Who are the Nephilim? I don't know. And I don't think you know either. Were the sons of God angels? demons? men? We can argue about it all day long, but, when the dust settles, we just don't know for sure. Why does God do this? Why does He put obscure verses in the Bible that we probably won't figure out on this side of glory? I get the picture of a child sitting at a dinner table listening to adult conversation. What are these adults talking about? It doesn't make sense! There is a certain comfort in this. As God's children, we discover He knows all about many things that we don't yet understand. And here is a gentle reminder that we don't need to understand everything. We can release those things we don't understand to God. God knows, and, when we're ready, He will explain everything we need to know. 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 Feb 16 10:16:33 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2008 09:16:33 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 02-24-08 Shelter -- Genesis 7:16 Message-ID: <47B6FE51.9090608@dwightclough.com> /*Then the LORD shut him in. -- Genesis 7:16*/ Was Noah able to close the door on the ark he built? I don't doubt he knew how to close the door. But the LORD shut him in. The writer didn't need to add this little phrase, but he did, because God wanted to underline an important thought. In this violent world, where righteous men had been murdered, God was preparing two plans: the flood and the ark, devastation and shelter, wrath and mercy. Noah was not just in the ark of his own making. God shut him in. God assured his salvation. And God has an answer for the little voices that try to pull us out of the ark, the little voices that seek make us inherit the wrath of God. God is the One who shuts us in. God is the one who teaches us who we are, how we found grace in the eyes of the Lord, how we were found righteous in our generation, how the gift of eternal life came to be ours. God is pulling us out of the flood of shame and fear, into the ark of His favor. God is the One who shuts the door. 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 Feb 23 18:48:00 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 23 Feb 2008 17:48:00 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 02-25-08 History and experience -- Genesis 8:4 Message-ID: <47C0B0B0.2020902@dwightclough.com> *Do your friends know about "Discoveries -- Inspiration in Your Inbox" Devotionals? * *Feel free to pass these messages on to them. They can learn more at http://www.dwightclough.com/discoveries.php* /*... on the seventeenth day of the seventh month the ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat. -- Genesis 8:4*/ It's easy to forget that what is now history was once experience. We have no record of Noah being informed how he would get out of the ark, of how God would keep the timbers together no matter how high the waves got to be, of how God would prevent the hull from being torn apart by some rock formation, of how the door that was shut would open again. Many of us find ourselves in the same "boat." We don't know how we are going to get out, we just know that God is responsible for our deliverance. If you are looking around, like I have, saying, "This is impossible!" then I have good news for both of us. God has it all figured out. Someday we will be able to look at a calendar, point to the date, and say, "On this day, my problem came to rest. This was the day of my deliverance." 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 Feb 25 13:42:38 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Mon, 25 Feb 2008 12:42:38 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] a special note to Discoveries / Inspiration in Your Inbox readers Message-ID: <47C30C1E.7080903@dwightclough.com> As many of you know Kenya has recently been the scene of upheaval and violence. Our friends Dan & Nancy in Kenya have lost 15 people in their ministry due to the violence, but they have taken in 10 children, orphaned by recent events, as well as adult refugees. The situation continues to be unstable. Please pray for them. Also, please remember our friends in Colombia in your prayers. I won't mention their names in this email, but they have an extremely dangerous mission to leftist guerrillas, right wing paramilitary and Colombian soldiers, as well as persecuted tribes people in the mountains. To complicate matters, several other countries have gotten involved in this three-way civil war. These are difficult times for many of our brothers and sisters around the world. Yet, in these difficulties, the character of God is revealed in His children as they give of themselves to bring God's love to those in need. Many blessings to you all! Dwight From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Feb 23 18:48:43 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 23 Feb 2008 17:48:43 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 02-26-08 A sense of security -- Genesis 8:22 Message-ID: <47C0B0DB.90503@dwightclough.com> /*As long as the earth edures, */ /*seedtime and harvest, */ /*cold and heat, */ /*summer and winter, */ /*day and night */ /*will never cease. */ /*-- Genesis 8:22*/ I love the spring. May is one of my favorite months. Two of my children were born in May. And May always signifies to me the end of winter and the beginning of summer. God has built into our lives certain rhythms. They give us a sense of security. A sense of knowing what to expect. Although I find beauty in winter, my enthusiasm for cold, snow and ice isn't what it was 35 years ago. But every year I look forward to Christmas, so I can overlook the cold until Christmas comes. Then, on January 15th, I tell myself and everyone else who wants to know that it's all downhill from here -- winter in Wisconsin is on it's way out. (With La Nina giving us record snowfalls and almost unrelenting cold here in Wisconsin this year, I've needed to tell myself that more than once! It finally got up to 20F (-7C) Saturday. With the sunshine it felt like summer!) What's the point? The point is this: We have storms in our lives. We have winters, some of them harder than others. But spring is coming. The tide is changing. Dawn is approaching. Harvest will come. God has built rhythms deep in our experience that teach us He will bring us out, and we will be okay. 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 Feb 23 18:49:26 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 23 Feb 2008 17:49:26 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 02-27-08 God remembered -- Genesis 8:1 Message-ID: <47C0B106.6010901@dwightclough.com> /*God remembered Noah ... -- Genesis 8:1*/ Wait a second! Hadn't God been thinking about Noah all along? How could God "remember" Noah? On the surface it looks like God was preoccupied with something else, and then the kitchen timer went off, and God looked up and said, "Oh, yeah, that guy in the boat. I'd better do something about him." Let me suggest another passage that might help explain this one: Psalm 78:65: "Then the Lord awoke as from sleep, as a man wakes from the stupor of wine." Did God really wake up? Was God really asleep? Of course not. But God knows that it seems that way to us sometimes. It probably seemed to Noah like God was preoccupied with something else. It may seem that way to you and to me. At the right moment, God's intervention will be there. In our minds, it will seem like God "awoke," like God "remembered" us. But He isn't sleeping, and He has us in mind even as you read these words. 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 Feb 23 18:49:57 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 23 Feb 2008 17:49:57 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 02-28-08 Gain eclipses pain -- Genesis 12:1 Message-ID: <47C0B125.1030904@dwightclough.com> /*The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you." -- Genesis 12:1*/ God was up front with Abram about the cost. It would cost him citizenship. It would cost him things familiar. It would cost him relationships. God asks us to pay a price. For ten years I lived a sleep deprived life. My four kids were a big part of the reason. It took them a long time to get used to the idea of getting to sleep and staying that way until morning. Kim did a lot of night time duty and so did I. And I paid for it. Many times I was driving down the road and I'd catch myself dreaming, and I'd realize I was asleep and driving and I needed to wake up. But I don't resent the lost sleep. I was happy to hold my children, to talk to them, to share life with them. Love has no value until we pay the price. God brought us into an eternal love relationship. As Christ's disciples, we take up our cross and follow Him. Why? Because God cares enough about us to ensure that we understand the value of what we have in Him. But when it's over, we won't think about what we gave up. We will look into the face of God, just as I look into the faces of my children, and only think about what we have gained. 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 Feb 23 18:50:26 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 23 Feb 2008 17:50:26 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 02-29-08 The LORD appears -- Genesis 12:7 Message-ID: <47C0B142.7040400@dwightclough.com> /*The LORD appeared to Abram ... -- Genesis 12:7*/ I wonder how many times Abram felt like turning back. Clearly he felt vulnerable; he felt the need to lie about his wife to protect his own skin. The years were going by and the promise that he would be made into a great nation hadn't even resulted in a single child. Every day he was reminded that he was a stranger, a guest, a pilgrim in a land he did not own -- a land where shepherds fought over grazing rights and watering holes, and if you lost the fight you might not survive. Despite whatever fears, disappointments and struggles he faced, Abram traveled through the land. And then the LORD appeared to him. Many times I have prayed with people who have said, "The Lord will never speak to me." Yet before we were done praying, the Lord did speak soothing words of comfort and healing. I knew He would, because at the right moment, the LORD will always appear. I don't know what form that will take for you. But I do know that the LORD is watching over our journey. He knows when we get tired and discouraged. He knows when we run out of hope and help. He knows when we have nothing left. Then He will appear, and we will discover that everything we need is in 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 Sat Feb 23 18:50:56 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 23 Feb 2008 17:50:56 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 03-01-08 God works with what He has -- Genesis 12:17 Message-ID: <47C0B160.3090102@dwightclough.com> /*But the LORD inflicted serious diseases on Pharaoh and his household because of Abram's wife Sarai. -- Genesis 12:17*/ Abram succumbs to fear and tells his wife to tell everyone that she is Abram's sister. In that culture, that gets Abram off the hook (they won't kill him to get his wife), but leaves Sarai in a vulnerable spot. Along comes Pharaoh. Sarai is beautiful, Pharaoh is impressed, and she gets added to the harem. This whole scenario reminds me of a television soap opera. What a mess! Abram is getting rich on his own lies, but he's lost his wife. Sarai is beautiful but trapped. And nobody can muster the courage to tell Mr. Powerful the truth. Think about all the ways God could have responded to this. He could have abandoned Abram and started over with someone who had the guts to tell the truth. He could have insisted that Abram go and confront Pharaoh and give back all the wealth he gained as "payment" for Sarai. But God takes a different approach. He Himself confronts Pharaoh. He sends a very clear message to Mr. Powerful -- Pharaoh has made a mistake and he will pay dearly for it if he doesn't make things right. What's the lesson? God works with what He has. While He has a right to demand whatever He wants from any of us, He doesn't wait until we are perfect before He intervenes on our behalf. We may have created a total mess, but He knows how to cut through it and set us 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 Sat Feb 23 18:51:24 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 23 Feb 2008 17:51:24 -0600 Subject: [Discoveries] 03-02-08 The solution to quarrels -- Genesis 13:8 Message-ID: <47C0B17C.2070703@dwightclough.com> /*So Abram said to Lot, "Let's not have any quarreling between you and me ... for we are brothers." -- Genesis 13:8*/ God wants to be the solution to our quarrels. Kim and I argued for years and years about the same old things, and we never got anywhere. We were just mad at each other, until one of us got around to finding the humility to apologize. No matter the issue, it was always the other person's fault. Then we started taking our anger to the Lord. We each made a startling discovery. My anger had almost nothing to do with Kim. Her anger had almost nothing to do with me. The anger came from someplace else. No wonder the Lord didn't want us to quarrel. But God isn't asking us to just sit quiet and fume. His solution is not silent frustration. Instead, when we bring our anger to God, own it, recognize it, look at its source and give it to God, He gives us what we need to replace anger with peace, joy and confidence. Does Kim still stir up anger in me? Sometimes. But, by comparison, hardly ever. Now, when I go to the place in my heart where the anger used to be, I find Jesus there, loving me. 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: