Author: Dwight Clough

If we are distressed, it is for your comfort … — 2 Corinthians 1:6RapeAlcoholismBankruptcyAffairsSexual abuseHomelessnessEmotional abuseRejectionFailureCancerDeathWhen I make a list of things that have deeply hurt me and touched my life, I feel a profound sense of peace, like the clean calm after the storm. Many of these stories I can’t tell you, for I must protect the privacy of people that I love. But I can tell you the story of comfort. I have been hurt, but I have also been comforted by God. In the middle of your distress you will find the soothing comfort of God. As…

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. — Matthew 5:10Okay, let’s face it: Do any of us really want to be persecuted? I don’t. Persecution, rooted in lies, is the natural result of God visiting this earth. Those who cannot see God because their hearts are impure, are stirred up by their corrupted desires, and make war against God by attacking His children.But here God reminds us that persecutors don’t get the last word. God has already measured the full force of persecution. He has lined it up against the Kingdom…

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. — Matthew 5:9Where do fights and quarrels come from? They come from corrupted desires that battle within. Good desires gone bad, tainted with lies, food for the enemy. Peacemakers see things as they truly are.I remember sitting down with a fellow who was trapped in a life of hate. His very speech was inflammatory. But as his story unfolded, I found a little boy inside who never had his father’s love, who always played second fiddle to the father’s favorite children. We are peacemakers. We bring Jesus to…

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. — Matthew 5:8Okay, either this is impossible, or it is not. Can any of us be pure in heart? Not without the touch of God. Who scrubs our souls clean? Who removes the lies that fester within? Jesus touches us and we are made pure. We don’t come to the table clean. We come as we are, and along the way Jesus makes us clean.Why can’t the impure see God? Because their vision is distorted and darkened. They cannot know the truth because their very eyes lie to them.…

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. — Matthew 5:7Where does mercy come from? Doesn’t it come from a heart that has been touched by God? The saint and the sinner are made out of the same clay. The saint knows this, and this is why he holds out hope for the sinner. We forgive because Christ has paid the debt the offender cannot pay. (Not just our debt, the other guy’s debt!) We show mercy because we are sons and daughters of the King. God recognizes the heart that has created margin for others. He will…

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. — Matthew 5:6This is good news for all of us who grew up knowing we were sinners. We want to please God. We don’t know how. We don’t have the ability to. We fail in all sorts of ways. But wait! God has a promise for us. The accent is on the second half of the sentence. They will be filled. All around us we have the "what" of Christianity. You should be kind. You should be loving. You should be generous. Etc. Etc. But Jesus…

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. — Matthew 5:5I 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,…

And the Lord said, "Yes, he has hidden himself among the baggage." — 1 Samuel 10:22God 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…

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. — Matthew 5:4Who 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…

Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. — Matthew 5:3We 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…