Author: Dwight Clough

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 6:4Okay, 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…

"My Spirit will not contend with man forever … " — Genesis 6:3Everyone 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…

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 5:28-29We 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…

And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. — Genesis 5:22I’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…

"Your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground." — Genesis 4:10God 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,…

So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep … — Genesis 2:21Adam 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…

And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free … " — Genesis 2:16What 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…

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 BibleI 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…

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 2:2-3There’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…

Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array. — Genesis 2:1For 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…