Author: Dwight Clough

For those struggling financially …Let me say a word to you if you are a man. Do you know that God is at work in you? Do you know that God has confidence in you, even if you have lost confidence in yourself? Do you know that deep inside you do have what it takes? You will climb out of this valley. You will overcome. Hang in there, my friend. You will triumph in the end. You will find a way…. the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” He said, “take the child and His mother and…

For those struggling financially …When you have financial troubles, you will get rude, senseless and ridiculous counsel from friends and relatives. Some will spend plenty of time trying to get you to see the obvious. (“Don’t you know that you could lose everything if you don’t get a job soon?” And so on.) Accept it with a smile and a “thank you.” Then, when you’re all alone, take it to the Lord, so He can separate the wheat from the chaff. Sometimes there’s nuggets of gold hidden in the mud of rudeness; let the Lord clean off the mud for…

For those struggling financially …The first time the rent or mortgage is due – and you have no idea how you’re going to pay it – can be a time of real panic. I don’t wish that situation on anyone. Obviously, we all do our best to make sure we don’t get in that situation. But it happens. Sometimes the best laid plans go awry, and we find ourselves with our backs up against the wall. Let me encourage you. I’ve been there many times. God has never abandoned us. Something happened. Something changed; something came through at the last…

For those struggling financially …It is more blessed to give than to receive. I genuinely believe that. If you are a child of God, deep in your heart I know you do too. But let me show you the other side of the coin. It is more educational to receive. Here’s what I mean. Accept help. Most of us hate to humble ourselves, to admit that our best efforts weren’t good enough, that we tried and failed, that we are now in need. But understand this: All of us are needy. In one way or another, every single person is…

For those struggling financially …It’s interesting how our definition of “necessity” changes. At one level of income, we may “need” to get a new car every couple years. At another level of income, we may need a bus pass or a bicycle or a pair of shoes. Understanding this gives us the power to create margin in our lives, as we spend a little less, give and invest a little more.All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet. — Matthew 1:22Think about it! How many are trying to disrupt the plans and purposes of…

For those struggling financially …A word on network marketing. There are a number of legitimate network (multi-level, relational) marketing opportunities out there. They all operate on basically the same principle. Somebody needs to sell something, and rather than hire a professional sales force, they offer ordinary people the opportunity to become distributors of their product(s). If you recruit people to help you sell the product, you get a percentage of their sales as well. The recruitment process can involve mystery, hype, and the promise of making zillions of dollars. Now let’s get real. Can you make money doing that? Yes.…

For those struggling financially …There may be a temptation to follow various get-rich-quick schemes. Most of these things are candy-coated poison. Yes, I have talked to people who make multiple thousands of dollars a day. (One guy made $500,000 a day.) But making that kind of money requires you to build a certain kind of business foundation that God may or may not be calling you to build. Focus rather on how you can use the skills God has given you to meet a legitimate need. If something smells fishy, it probably is.Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!…

For those struggling financially …You may feel pressured (or even bullied) into sending money to various ministries who claim that when you give to them, you will become rich. Let me offer a word of advice and encouragement. Set the magazine aside. Turn off the TV. Switch off the radio. And have a sit-down talk with Jesus. Jesus is not going to bully you into anything. He will show you what you should give to whom. Jesus will empower you to give with wisdom, with faith, with joy. He may tell you to give more than you were planning. He…

For those struggling financially …There’s nothing like poverty to force you to be creative. When you’re rich, you can buy your way out of almost any trouble, but when you’re poor, you need to think and pray your way out. A small example: We couldn’t afford karate lessons, horseback riding lessons, guitar lessons for any of our kids. But God provided a way, without us needing to come up with the money. With God, there are always alternatives.“… the kingdom of God is within you.” — Luke 17:21On Christmas Day the presents are wrapped with care. Some have beautiful bows…

For those struggling financially …God didn’t shortchange you on time. You have all the time you need. Don’t forget to take time for what’s important. When you’re in financial trouble, it’s easy to think, I desperately need to work my way out of this mess. I need to work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If only there were more hours in a day. No. God created cycles of work and rest, of achievement and celebration, of labor and relationship. There is a time for everything. Work hard when it’s time to work. But when the workday is…