From discoveries at dwightclough.com Sat Jun 7 09:20:33 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 07 Jun 2008 08:20:33 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 06-09-08 A time for everything -- Ecclesiastes 3:1, 2 Message-ID: <484A8B21.9080301@dwightclough.com> /*There is a time for everything ... a time to be born and a time to die ... -- Ecclesiastes 3:1,2*/ My dad passed away in 1999. My mom was recovering from surgery. She felt up to taking a little drive, so my dad drove her around in the country. It was a hot summer day, and when they got home, she went inside while he finished up a little project in the yard. When he walked in, he didn't look right and he didn't feel right. "Could I have a glass of water?" he asked. As my mom went to get it, she asked, "Do you feel okay?" "No," he said, "I'm having trouble breathing." Then he collapsed on the floor. We figure he was dead before the ambulance arrived. I think about my dad's passing every so often. So sudden and so unexpected. I wonder what my own death will be like. Will I live to be an old man, or will I die suddenly, in mid-sentence with the loose ends of my life all around me? I don't know, of course. I once had a dream -- I think I shared this before -- about heaven opening. From that dream, I came to realize that Jesus comes back for each one of us. One moment we are immersed in the things of this life, and the next we look up and see Him standing there. I think we'll discover that He's always there, exactly on time. 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 Jun 7 09:21:06 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 07 Jun 2008 08:21:06 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 06-10-08 Knowing -- 1 Kings 17:24 Message-ID: <484A8B42.8030208@dwightclough.com> "/*Now I know ..." -- 1 Kings 17:24*/ What is the difference between the person who knows and the person who doesn't? They say the same words. They confess the same creeds. They attend the same church. They may eat at the same table. But one knows and another does not. In this case, the woman who spoke these words watched her son gradually lose his life. When he finally stopped breathing, she blurted out what she thought she knew. "What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?" There in her loss she spoke what she thought was the truth: God was her adversary, her sin was on display, and anything precious to her was fair game. Sooner or later, this happens to all of us. Our real beliefs are revealed. Circumstances squeeze us until we cannot hide behind our creeds any more; we are forced to lay our cards on the table. Then God showed up. I don't know and cannot predict how God will show up for you. In this woman's case, He raised her son from the dead -- unheard of, unprecedented, miraculous. Then she knew. God is on a mission to plant His truth deep inside you and me. That is part of what is behind the bewildering circumstances you may be walking through. Once you know, then the serpent's lies cannot shake you ever again. 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 Jun 7 09:21:39 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 07 Jun 2008 08:21:39 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 06-11-08 The anatomy of awe -- Ecclesiastes 5:7 Message-ID: <484A8B63.9080000@dwightclough.com> /*Therefore stand in awe of God. -- Ecclesiastes 5:7*/ I sit at my desk wondering how to convey this. Do I tell you about a June morning in 1977 when I stood shivering at the top of a cliff and looked down at people picking apples a mile below me in ninety-degree heat while off in the distance a blizzard was raging in the high Cascades? Do I try to describe what it was like to lie back in my brother-in-law's hot tub on a cold December night and look straight up with nothing between me and stars so far away there is no way the human mind can comprehend the distance? One day I stopped on a nature trail, transfixed by what I cannot describe. A couple walked by -- I believe these were people who like to categorize and name plants and animals. They asked me what I was looking at. "The glory of God," I said. Okay, it was a lunatic response. I admit it. But I can't reduce everything to something I can name or explain. I can't reduce everything, but some things reduce me. Remember the Challenger disaster? Remember after the space shuttle exploded a voice continued to report the progress of the craft as though nothing had happened? Remember how incongruent that voice seemed in the weight of that terrible moment? As I look at my life, I have to smile. It's been a wild ride, but I wouldn't trade it. A wild ride. That's what's it's like to hang out with God. Everything He does is so beyond us. With Him, we walk right up to the face of death. There He takes off death's mask, and we discover life beyond measure. No, there aren't any words to convey this. But maybe that's the way it's supposed 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 Sat Jun 7 09:22:07 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 07 Jun 2008 08:22:07 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 06-12-08 Overrighteous? -- Ecclesiastes 7:16 Message-ID: <484A8B7F.6070702@dwightclough.com> /*Do not be overrighteous; neither be overwise -- why destroy yourself? -- Ecclesiastes 7:16*/ We get some crazy ideas. I used to think if unchurched was bad, and churched was good, then more churched must be better, right? I figured if you knew how to sweat when you prayed, stomp when you preached, and "amen" when you sat in the pew, then that made you a mighty fine guy. I knew how to put on my church face, shake hands and act like I was in a continuous state of revival. Are you getting sick yet? When I was in college I worked one summer as window trim painter in a prefab building manufacturing plant. The guy who drove me to work was a fellow churchman. One day he said to me, "Dwight, when I saw you in church, I guess you were in your element, and, to tell you the truth, I was a little afraid of you. But now that I see you here at work I realize that you're just like everybody else." It was an offhand remark, but, to be honest, it rocked my little world. I felt like I had been found out. I didn't want to be like everybody else. I wanted to be better. I wanted to be the best there was. But, deep down inside, the truth gnawed at me. I really was just like everybody else. If anything, I was worse. What kind of kids does God want? Real ones. Heaven is not populated with religious fakes. In fact, we must lose all our religious fakery before we get through the door. Inflated religious egos can't squeeze through the narrow gate to eternal life. I've learned the truth. I really am just like everybody else. All of us are in need of God's grace. And only when we get real with God, with ourselves and with each other, does that grace pour out into 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 Jun 7 09:22:35 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 07 Jun 2008 08:22:35 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 06-13-08 Pearls -- Ecclesiastes 7:28 Message-ID: <484A8B9B.2000101@dwightclough.com> /*... while I was still searching but not finding -- I found one upright man among a thousand, but not one upright woman among them all. -- Ecclesiastes 7:28*/ There are a few verses in the Bible that are just plain provocative and this is one of them. I cringe and wonder, "How did this get in here?" But there it is. And if ever there was a verse that didn't square with my experience, this is one of them. I know many godly women who love the Lord with all their hearts, and, honestly, not as many men. So let's see if we can figure this out. If Solomon was the author of Ecclesiastes then we know that he had so many wives that I doubt he even remembered their names. No wonder he had a jaded view of women. (Yet, how did he manage to write Song of Solomon? I'm stumped on that one.) Now, I have a confession to make. When I started writing this devotional, I had no idea how to answer the questions that this verse raises. I walked into this one blind as a bat. But I think perhaps the Lord just gave me the answer. It's found in Matthew 7:6: "Do not throw your pearls to pigs." Let me explain. What could be more precious to the Lord than one of His daughters who dearly loves Him? Here in Ecclesiastes we have a madman -- mad in the sense that he temporarily abandons God and tries to find wisdom apart from Him. Why would God give what is precious to a man like that? Remember the "anatomy of awe" devotional a couple days ago? A woman who loves God cannot be reduced to a premise in a philosophy book. She will elude this man and his search until he stops searching and starts finding 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 Jun 7 09:23:04 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 07 Jun 2008 08:23:04 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 06-14-08 The One who understands -- Ecclesiastes 8:17, 9:17 Message-ID: <484A8BB8.2080402@dwightclough.com> /*No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. -- Ecclesiastes 8:17*/ /*The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools. -- Ecclesiastes 9:17*/ I don't care how good a Christian you are, you will eventually come face to face with things in life that you cannot understand. Tamara White who runs an inner city ministry for teen "throw aways" told me stories of little children who trusted Jesus as their Savior and were molested the same night. How do you explain that? I cannot. Pat answers like: "We live in a fallen world," or "This is not the Lord's doing, this is the work of the enemy," just don't cut it for me. My little heart cannot contain the shrapnel of a world gone mad. So what makes any of us wise? Is it that we understand these things? No, I don't think any of us do. So where does wisdom come from? I think of Jesus. He stood next to the tomb of Lazarus and wept -- He wept even though He knew full well He was about to raise him from the dead. I think of Jesus rejoicing because what was important was hidden by the Father from the wise and learned, and revealed instead to little children. And I think of Jesus, trembling in the garden, saying, "... nevertheless, not My will but Thine be done." By the will of God, we, along with Jesus, weep, rejoice and surrender. This is the stuff of our lives. So wisdom comes, not because we can explain our world, but rather because we have been with Him who understands. 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 Jun 7 09:23:33 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 07 Jun 2008 08:23:33 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 06-15-08 Jesus is here, right now -- John 1:11 Message-ID: <484A8BD5.7020806@dwightclough.com> /*[Jesus] came unto His own ... -- John 1:11*/ God is not satisfied until He enters our world. Jesus didn't make phone calls from heaven to inquire about the condition of the human race. God is not a voice from the past that we can only know through His writings. I'm speaking to the 20 year old me and to anyone else who might rise up early to pour over the scriptures, to sing hymns, to pray through a long, long list, but never feel like he connected with God. We don't connect with God by sending radio signals out into space and hoping they will be intercepted and not ignored by the Almighty. We don't connect by dressing up in our Sunday best. Jesus has entered your world. He is here, right now. When Jesus entered this world, He came on a mission; He came to die on the cross and to rise again for the salvation of mankind. It was the last thing anyone expected. When Jesus entered your world, He came on a mission. He is here, right now, for a reason. And that reason may well be the last thing you expect. But one thing is clear: In your place of greatest pain -- when Jesus is finished -- you will find your greatest joy. Jesus is here to turn things upside down. 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 Jun 14 10:27:26 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2008 09:27:26 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 06-16-08 Bread -- Ecclesiastes 11:1 Message-ID: <4853D54E.2060804@dwightclough.com> /*Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it again. -- Ecclesiastes 11:1*/ Why would we cast our bread upon the waters? Pretty simple: You can't keep it. It molds; it spoils; it dries out. Who wants stale bread? Better to give away what we have when we still have strength to give. It's a reckless thing, really. Giving. Giving away. Giving up. Letting go. Upon the waters, we cast our bread. The bread is soon gone. It disappears and we cannot bring it back. That is the beauty of all of this. When we give our lives away, we cannot go and retrieve what we have surrendered. Everything we give away is now in Other Hands. The verse says, "many days." You may have given, and given, and given. I suspect you probably now have forgotten most of what you've given away. But there is Someone who remembers. How can bread cast upon waters come back to us? We all know the answer. It cannot. It's impossible. It would take a miracle. But then again, that's what you and I signed up for. 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 Jun 14 10:27:58 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2008 09:27:58 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 06-17-08 We matter to Him -- Ecclesiastes 12:7 Message-ID: <4853D56E.9060109@dwightclough.com> /*... the spirit returns to God who gave it. -- Ecclesiastes 12:7*/ Here we have the single most important fact of our existence. When I scan back through my own life, I see snapshots -- walking down Chicago Avenue at night and seeing a million lights reflected in the rain, sitting on the bathroom floor next to my wife in agony during her first miscarriage, driving past the palm trees at Fort Fisher and seeing the result of my dad's trimming efforts -- one leaf sticking straight up. I see myself holding my newborn babies, and watch them close the coffin on my dad. Does it matter that my dad nearly murdered the palm trees? Does it matter that our little girl is in heaven? Does it matter that I married the most beautiful woman in the world? If it matters to God, it matters. That is why He calls us back to Himself. Because we matter to Him. All of this stuff of our lives matters to Him. What you are doing right now matters to 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 Jun 14 10:28:28 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2008 09:28:28 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 06-18-08 Prayers and problems -- John 11:3 Message-ID: <4853D58C.1060009@dwightclough.com> /*"Lord, the one You love is sick." -- John 11:3*/ It's a simple prayer. Many times the more desperate we are, the more needy we are, the more simple our prayers become. "Help!" I remember times when I was so sick that all I could pray was, "O God! O God! O God!" over and over again because my brain couldn't contain anything more. There was no theology, just raw need and a Father in heaven. This is also a prayer of expectation. Mary and Martha knew where they stood with the Lord. Jesus could do what He wanted, and they knew He wanted the best for their brother, Lazarus. They knew that Jesus cared deeply about him. The implication is clear. They expected Jesus to clear His schedule, and bring Lazarus back from the brink of death. God chose this prayer to something extra, something far beyond what anyone imagined would happen. He chose this prayer as an opportunity to show us that no problem is ever too big for God to solve. How did He do that? He let the problem get worse. I mention this because this is where many of us are right now. We have a problem. We've asked God to take it away. And He has responded by letting it get worse. What is God doing? I don't know. I just know that when everything we hoped for dies, God is planning a resurrection. He is able, and He will bring it about 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 Sat Jun 14 10:28:57 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2008 09:28:57 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 06-19-08 The delay -- John 11:6 Message-ID: <4853D5A9.5050808@dwightclough.com> /*Yet when [Jesus] heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed where He was two more days. -- John 11:6*/ Do the math. When Jesus got to Bethany, Lazarus had been in the grave for four days. Even if Jesus had left as soon as He got the message that Lazarus was ill, He still would have been two days late to prevent the death of His friend. The delay of Jesus established a couple of important things: First, Jesus knew exactly what was going on. The death of Lazarus did not take Him by surprise. Second, Jesus was completely in charge. This wasn't a matter of Jesus running frantically from one need to another, never quite able to keep up. No, He had a mission, and He would fulfill it. We can talk about these delays all day long. But until we experience one, it's hard to understand what's on the other side. But let me ask this: How do you imagine Mary, Martha and Lazarus were different after Lazarus was raised from the dead? Sometimes, life's most transformational experiences will not happen without a delay. 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 Jun 14 10:29:27 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2008 09:29:27 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 06-20-08 Fear and danger -- Proverbs 27:12 Message-ID: <4853D5C7.4070205@dwightclough.com> /*The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it. -- Proverbs 27:12*/ There are different kinds of fear, and fear is used in different ways by God and by the enemy. Fear from the enemy paralyzes. Fear from God motivates. Fear from the enemy is based on lies. Fear from God is based on truth. Fear from the enemy pushes us into sin. Fear from God pushes us away from sin. All my life I have heard Christians trying to explain what "the fear of the Lord" is. Some say it is "reverent awe." Others say it is "dread." Others say it is "abject terror." I would like to suggest that what it is depends on where you are. Let me use an illustration I've used before. When I'm inside my brother-in-law's semi truck going 70 mph down the highway, I'm very comfortable. But I am afraid to stand out in the road in front of it. I know that I don't have the ability to stop 40,000 pounds of metal moving at 70 mph. I would get squashed. So, inside the semi, I am completely at peace. Outside the semi, I have a healthy respect for it. In the path of the semi, I would be scared like crazy unless and until I got out of the way. Same fear, different location. So the fear of the Lord must not be mistaken for a desire on God's part to terrorize His children. Instead, it is an invitation to come inside at be at peace. 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 Jun 14 10:29:57 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2008 09:29:57 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 06-21-08 Little choices -- 2 Timothy 2:24-26 Message-ID: <4853D5E5.2040904@dwightclough.com> /*And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. -- 2 Timothy 2:24-26*/ There is a great partnership here, between the Lord and His people. Our job is to break the way of righteousness down into little steps, small choices. God's work is to grant repentance. And what is repentance? It is a change of mind, and change of belief. For example, if I believe that I am shameful, then I will make choices in accordance with that belief. I will make choices that distance me from God. For example, I might figure that my life is a mess anyway, so why not abuse drugs or commit immorality? Enter the well-meaning Christian. "Repent!" he cries. And what he means is: "Make different choices and cry a lot while you are making the change." On the surface, that sounds very spiritual. No one wants to be soft on sin. No one wants to peddle easy believe-ism. But the Lord's servant is always on the lookout for the small choice that gives God room to change those underlying beliefs. He asks gentle questions. "Have you considered the possibility that the Lord might care about you?" "Would you be willing to hear what Jesus might have to say to you about who you really are or about what you mean to Him?" Sin will go away as Jesus transforms a life. None of us has the ability to take it away from ourselves or from anybody else. That prerogative is reserved for the Lamb of God. All we do is find the little choices that open the doors to let Jesus in. 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 Jun 14 10:30:31 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 14 Jun 2008 09:30:31 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 06-22-08 Painful lessons -- Numbers 12:8 Message-ID: <4853D607.2000507@dwightclough.com> /*"Why then were you not afraid ...?" -- Numbers 12:8*/ In almost every case, when the Lord speaks to us about fear, He says, "Do not be afraid." But here, we have a different story. The Lord was so angry with his servants for speaking against their leader that He temporarily struck Miriam with leprosy. "Why were you not afraid?" It almost seems that God is incredulous. When I was a little boy I loved collecting insects in jars with nail holes in the lids. One day I decided to create the mother of all insect collections. I had a huge glass jar. With a small glass jar I collected everything ... grasshoppers, beetles, flies, spiders, bees ... you name it. Then I transferred each acquisition to my insect zoo in the big glass jar. Once I had something of everything I could find, I decided it would be a neat idea to take my huge jar and climb to the top of my grandfather's John Deere tractor. "That's not a good idea," an adult voice warned. I kept on climbing. "You're liable to drop your jar; it will break and you'll lose everything." I didn't believe it and I didn't heed the warning. So the adults let me climb. I got to the top with a feeling of exultation. I set my jar down and then I noticed something. The top of the tractor wasn't level. The jar started to slide. I reached for it, but I was too late. Broken glass, free bugs and lots of little boy tears. Painful lessons -- for Miriam and for me. But painful lessons are also an opportunity for God. Sometimes a lesson learned in a moment of pain prevents a lifetime of suffering. Remember the illustration of the semi truck? When we are outside and are startled by the blast of the horn, it helps us remember how safe and comfortable it is inside the cab. Even in painful lessons, God cannot help but to love, for that is Who He 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 Fri Jun 20 19:26:57 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:26:57 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 06-23-08 Boasting -- Ephesians 2:8-9 Message-ID: <485C3CC1.5080705@dwightclough.com> /*For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast. -- Ephesians 2:8-9*/ There's two different kinds of boasting. There's the "look-at-me" kind of boasting that says "I did it all." And then there's the "look-at-God" kind of boasting that says God is doing a wonderful work in the lives of His children. How liberating it is to find that distinction! God is doing a fantastic work in us -- in you and in me. He's put us exactly where He wants us in history. He is making an end run around the devil's agenda for our lives, by using all the damage and sin as opportunities for repair and repentance. (Repentance, remember, is a gift from God - 2 Timothy 2:25.) Here we are with trials that we can't figure out, and God is taking all our pain and bewilderment and using them to bring out the indestructible you and me buried deep inside. You and I each have something of incredible value to offer one another and to offer our world. It is true that we have this treasure in jars of clay. But where is our focus going to be -- on the treasure or on the clay? No, we can't boast about the clay. But who would want to? We have much bigger and better things to brag about. 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 Jun 23 18:48:29 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:48:29 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] A couple prayer requests from Dwight Message-ID: <4860283D.2040102@dwightclough.com> Hi Everyone God is at work. I'm excited to share a couple prayer requests with you, not because I fear for the worst, but rather because I'm excited to invite you into what God is doing. First, we have the opportunity to move to a home that will be much more suitable for our family. Our children will have bedrooms and Kim and I will have office space. We're excited about using this house for ministry and for our family. This is truly a miracle and an answer to prayer. There is a hitch, however. We need to sell our home, and the buyers have fallen through. We have a two flat in Sun Prairie zoned commercial, so many uses are possible. Someone could have a small business downstairs and live upstairs. Someone could live in one flat and rent out the other. It could be combined into a single family home. And so on. If you know someone who might be interested, ask him or her to email me for details at books at dwightclough.com. And could you pray that God will supply the right buyer or otherwise bring this to the right conclusion. Second, because I write books, web pages, other material for clients, I'm able to multiply the influence of Christians. At the moment I'm between clients. I have several possibilities, but nothing on the table right now. Could you pray that God will guide me to the right client(s) that I can help. Thanks much! Dwight -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From discoveries at dwightclough.com Fri Jun 20 19:27:37 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:27:37 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 06-24-08 Chocolate -- Ephesians 1:16 Message-ID: <485C3CE9.6030201@dwightclough.com> /*I have not stopped giving thanks for you ... -- Ephesians 1:16*/ I like chocolate. Brownies, chocolate cake, chocolate chocolate-chunk ice cream, chocolate chip cookies, Hershey's Special Dark, Mounds, Nestle's Crunch -- all favorites of mine. Heaven would be a wonderful place if it was just you and God. You could spend all eternity exploring the heart of God and never get tired. But God means to multiply the enjoyment by sharing with us something He enjoys ... His children. One time someone gave me a hundred candy bars. Do you know what I liked best about that gift? I was able to turn around and give away chocolate! It was so nice to share the treat with others. I could have kept all 100 candy bars and gobbled them up myself. But the enjoyment entered a new dimension when I shared them with others. In this verse, Paul is giving thanks. Whenever someone is giving thanks, look around and see what God is giving away. In this case, it's relationships. God has given us each other -- brothers and sisters in Christ. We can laugh together, cry together, work together and rejoice together. It is a precious gift. Thank 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 Fri Jun 20 19:28:07 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:28:07 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 06-25-08 When eyes are opened -- Luke 24:31 Message-ID: <485C3D07.3090006@dwightclough.com> /*Then their eyes were opened. -- Luke 24:31*/ The disciples were walking through sorrow like none they had ever experienced before. Their Lord was dead, and no explanation could account for it, no theology could soothe their aching hearts. Pouring out their grief to a stranger as they walked along the road to Emmaus, they wrestled with their world gone mad. Nothing made sense. All their hopes were shattered. Then their eyes were opened. So it is with us. There are no answers, no reasons to account for all that has gone wrong in our lives. Each of us has walked through bewildering times when it seems that our Lord has left us all alone. But then, as we pour out our sorrows to the One who seems a stranger, our eyes are opened. Then we learn the truth. We discover that He was there all along, walking with us, comforting us, telling us the truth, responding to our invitation for Him to enter our lives and make His home with 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 Fri Jun 20 19:28:49 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:28:49 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 06-26-08 Reasoning with God -- Isaiah 1:18 Message-ID: <485C3D31.8060107@dwightclough.com> /*"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. -- Isaiah 1:18*/ Where does this invitation come from? It comes from our God. What do we learn here? 1. Our God is reasonable. His demands are reasonable. He may demand everything, but our thimbleful of everything cannot be compared to the ocean of what He gives back in love. 2. Our God listens. You can't reason with someone without listening to them. God will listen to all our fears, apprehensions, difficulties, objections -- if we are willing to listen to His reply to them. He is gentle and shows us the picture we were never able to see before. 3. Our God wants to deal with us directly. Do we have a problem? God wants to hear about it from us, and He wants us to hear His reply. You can walk away disappointed from a meeting with man, but God will never disappoint you. I want to thank my good friend, Missionary Bill Sutter, for pointing me to this verse -- an excellent word for all of 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 Fri Jun 20 19:29:22 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:29:22 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 06-27-08 Fishers of men -- Matthew 4:19 Message-ID: <485C3D52.7010901@dwightclough.com> /*"Come, follow Me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." -- Matthew 4:19*/ Jesus is so efficient. In His very call, He has already given His first lesson. If we want to win people, if we want to set people free, we must enter their world and speak their language. Why do we know almost nothing about the first 30 years of Jesus' life? Because He invested that time immersing Himself in our world, learning our language. He wasn't drawing attention to Himself. Who are the most powerful people in the Kingdom? Those who listen well. They may be invisible to us, but they are not invisible to God. When we hang out with Jesus, we learn His ways. We begin to understand what He values. People are drawn to us because the caring, listening heart of Jesus is revealed in 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 Fri Jun 20 19:29:56 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:29:56 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 06-28-08 Making room for God -- Proverbs 21:31 Message-ID: <485C3D74.3010809@dwightclough.com> /*The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the LORD. -- Proverbs 21:31*/ Even David had five smooth stones and a sling. Sometimes we need to look at the weapons we fight with and the tools build with. Do we walk into battle wearing Saul's armor? Do we build kitchen cabinets with a sledge hammer and a chainsaw? David's sling and stone were useless without the presence of God. Our programs, approaches, techniques, weapons, tools, insights and whatever else we may have do nothing unless energized by the powerful presence of God. The widow had oil, God supplied the overflowing abundance. The boy had bread and fish, Jesus multiplied them. David had a sling and stone, God made the giant fall. How do we know if we have the best approach? When we are ready to make room for 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 Fri Jun 20 19:30:26 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:30:26 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 06-29-08 God's remedy -- Ephesians 6:10-11 Message-ID: <485C3D92.107@dwightclough.com> /*... in His mighty power ... put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. -- Ephesians 6:10-11*/ Let's look at the devil's schemes and God's remedy: Scheme #1: lies, deeply implanted painful lies God's Remedy: the belt of truth -- truth in our gut, deep inside where we need it most Scheme #2: sin -- counterfeit solutions to painful lies God's Remedy: the breastplate of righteousness -- our new identity in Christ, a brand new heart transferred by God to us in response to our faith Scheme #3: bad news, anxiety, unrest God's Remedy: boots of peace from a ready gospel -- enduring good news from a God and a Kingdom that cannot be shaken Scheme #4: doubt God's Remedy: the shield of faith -- faith is the truth coming alive in our souls -- it's the light bulb turning on -- once faith is built deep inside it will extinguish every flaming arrow of doubt Scheme #5: destruction God's Remedy: the helmet of salvation -- though we may feel fragile, everything important about us is now indestructible in Christ Scheme #6: temptation God's Remedy: the sword of the Spirit which is the (spoken) word of God -- God speaks and we are transformed, temptation loses its grip on 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 Jun 28 07:52:11 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 28 Jun 2008 06:52:11 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 06-30-08 God's work -- Philippians 1:6 Jubilee Bible Message-ID: <486625EB.1060106@dwightclough.com> /*... being confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ. -- Philippians 1:6 Jubilee Bible*/ God is at work. Sometimes it helps to stop and consider Who is working. This is God. He took you on, and He took me on knowing all our faults, all our false beliefs, all our apathy and stubbornness. Evidently, all the wrong inside us doesn't scare God away. Years ago when my heart had grown cold toward the Lord, I wanted to come back, but I didn't know how. It was at this time that I rediscovered this verse. Every time I thought about how I had failed, I spoke this verse aloud. As time went on, I began to see that the Christian life wasn't about what a great guy I am. Instead, it's all about what a great Father God is. Am I lazy or proud or stubborn or rebellious? If I am, these things are secondary to something that is far more important: God is at work in me. And God is at work in 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 Jun 28 07:52:51 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 28 Jun 2008 06:52:51 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 07-01-08 What kind of Man? -- Matthew 8:27 Message-ID: <48662613.40704@dwightclough.com> "/*What kind of Man is this?" -- Matthew 8:27*/ The disciples had theology before they got out on the lake. They were familiar with Jesus -- more than any of us are. But something happened to them as the storm grew calm, and sea grew smooth. They discovered the Savior they thought they knew was far more than anything they had yet understood. My goal in writing these little devotionals is to get my words out of the way so that you and I can experience the Man who is far more than anything we have yet understood. You and I go through our storms -- and all our comfortable beliefs are challenged, and when our survival is threatened, everything that can be shaken crumbles. But then the sun comes out, the sea grows calm, and we stand back in wonder. What kind of Man is this? He is and He does what we never imagined could be possible. 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 Jun 28 07:53:26 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 28 Jun 2008 06:53:26 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 07-02-08 Where Jesus is revealed -- Matthew 4:16 Message-ID: <48662636.6090200@dwightclough.com> "/*... the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned." -- Matthew 4:16*/ Where is the land of darkness? It is inside us. Read the verse, study the chapter and consider: The darkness is within. There wasn't some fog over Galilee any more than there is some special fog over the place you live or the place I live. Whenever there is darkness, it is within. So where does Jesus need to be revealed? He needs to be revealed inside each of us. For me the landscape has often been financial. Again and again over the years I've been brought to the place of having nothing. (Not that I planned it that way!) But from that place where my manhood felt insulted, my self sufficiency turned to shame, my intelligence and hard work mocked, God showed up. Many times we've been in need, and at the last moment, somehow, miraculously the money was there. In some ways I hesitate to even mention these things because I don't want to send the wrong message that God doesn't want us to be wise with our finances, diligent with our labor. Of course He does. But I do want to point out that when we bring our worries and fears into the presence of God, something changes inside us. Darkness turns to light. That is my message to you today. Jesus is to be revealed in you. What you know with your mind, Jesus means for you to know with your life. 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 Jun 28 07:54:04 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 28 Jun 2008 06:54:04 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 07-03-08 Wealth from poverty -- Matthew 5:3 Message-ID: <4866265C.8090701@dwightclough.com> /*Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. -- Matthew 5:3*/ We have our treasure in earthen vessels -- clay pots. If we fill our clay pots with clay, how much room is there for treasure? The poor in spirit empty out the clay. Ceramics look nice, but who wants clay when you can have gold, silver and precious stones? Those who have the least to offer God have the most to gain. It's not the quantity that God cares about, it's the percentage. Jesus asked the rich young ruler for everything he had because that was the only way He could get all of him. That's the mystery of the children of God: When we no longer "own" anything we possess 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 Sat Jun 28 07:54:33 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 28 Jun 2008 06:54:33 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 07-04-08 God's comfort -- Matthew 5:4 Message-ID: <48662679.504@dwightclough.com> /*Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. -- Matthew 5:4*/ Who hasn't mourned? All of us have felt grief and loss, sorrow and pain. Here we have God's heart response to our pain: comfort. The other day my little girl came into my office with a scarcely visible scratch on her foot. For me, it was a delight to pick her up and comfort her and let her know how much I care about her. Do you want to find the heart of God? I don't wish on you any new pain, but you may need to feel the pain that is already there to find the comforting heart of God. Our pain may seem like a great forest fire, but, when compared to the comfort of God, it is a smoldering wick falling into the ocean 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 Jun 28 07:55:00 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 28 Jun 2008 06:55:00 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 07-05-08 Hiding places -- 1 Samuel 10:22 Message-ID: <48662694.9000509@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. God is calling us out of hiding, to be clothed and covered by the good work He is doing in 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 Jun 28 07:55:31 2008 From: discoveries at dwightclough.com (Inspiration in Your Inbox) Date: Sat, 28 Jun 2008 06:55:31 -0500 Subject: [Discoveries] 07-06-08 A gift for the meek -- Matthew 5:5 Message-ID: <486626B3.3060202@dwightclough.com> /*Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. -- Matthew 5:5*/ I remember Pastor Warren Wiersbe thirty years ago telling us, "Meekness is not weakness; it is power under control." I don't know if that's original with him, but I like it. A day is coming when the Lord will tear the earth away from the arrogant and the oppressors. Then it will be parceled up among those who never used their power to bring fear or grief to others. This is a statement about the meek, but it is a bigger statement about our God. He sees, He knows, He understands. 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: