For those struggling financially …
I’m not a woman, and so I cannot speak from experience, but I will offer this word from scripture for you women, especially you single moms. When the economy of Israel collapsed, and death from thirst and starvation was commonplace, where did God send his servant Elijah? To a single mom. God commanded a single mom who had despaired of life itself to feed his number one prophet. Why would God do that? The answer is really simple. God doesn’t hob nob with the rich and famous. Instead, He hangs out with those who have nothing left. He hasn’t forgotten you. The prayer you can scarcely pray; God will answer that and much more. But remember this: the answer often comes in a way you don’t expect.
… she gave birth to a son … –Matthew 1:25
This has become a special day for me because thirteen years ago my son Alan was born. It was the shortest day of the year, but one of the longest days of my life. I woke up early, went to work, drove to Chicago and back (over 300 miles), got permanently laid off from my job, came home, drove my wife to the hospital, and, by the end of the day, my namesake, Dwight Alan Clough, Jr., was a little baby wrapped up in a blanket.
He seemed so fragile and small. During labor my wife’s blood pressure spiked at 197/127 then dropped to 60/40. Meanwhile, I had lost my job on the darkest cold day of the year.
But that little six pound baby somehow hung on and grew. The doctor said my wife could never safely deliver another child, but two and a half years later God gave us our little Sally. My job was gone. Unemployment paid me for a month and then refused to pay any more. But God provided a living and we made it through.
Alan has my name, but he has much more than I could ever give him. He has a people savvy that can only be a gift from God because he certainly didn’t get it from me. He is naturally street wise and sizes up situations better than some people twice his age. We call him our future millionaire because at age five he was watching the Nightly Business Report, and he told us his goal was to own fifty Taco Bell restaurants.
What’s the point? The point is that good life sometimes flourishes on doubtful soil. The point is that God specializes in taking our darkest hours and drawing out of them our brightest hopes. Who could have guessed that the hope of the whole world could be found wrapped in cloth lying in a box over a bed of hay!
Be encouraged!
Dwight
What happens when you partner with Dwight Clough Ministries?
Victims of violent crimes and survivors of abuse are finding peace,
wholeness, the power to forgive and the strength to set boundaries.
Those ensnared by addictions are finding freedom. Marriages are being
restored. Families are strengthened. Christian brothers and sisters in
restricted lands who face persecution are finding strength and
encouragement. Young believers are learning how to walk with the Lord,
and people are coming into the faith for the first time. None of this
happens as a result of one person’s efforts, but rather this is God’s
work as He blesses the sacrifice of many people including yourself. We
partner with you, with other ministries, and, most significantly, with
the Lord. That’s how the supernatural happens.
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 DwightClough.com for more information.