Restoring Life: Part 1Sample
Living Out God’s Plan
In 1 Kings 19 we find Elijah, a prophet of God, alone, confused and fearful of his current situation. Elijah had fully planned out his steps, yet nothing had gone according to his plan. As we read yesterday, we can plan all we want, but we need God directing our steps to find true success. Elijah stands before God, frustrated that he is all alone and fearful for his future.
Much like Elijah, you may be fearful for what your future holds. You may be fearful about going under anesthesia. You may be fearful about the post-operative recovery. You may even be fearful that this is not the end of your surgery process. And like Elijah, you may feel as though you are alone in this process. But the Bible tells us that God always walks alongside us and because of this truth, we should not be afraid.
God reminded Elijah that he was never alone. God had constantly remained by his side. He also provided a community of 7,000 people for Elijah.
And just like Elijah, there are people who have gone before you. You are not the first to have surgery. You are not the first to go under anesthesia. Your surgeon has gone through years of training in preparation for this moment. There are over 200 million surgeries performed worldwide each year. That’s a lot of people experiencing the same fear and uncertainty as you. But you can be assured that God was right there, alongside each surgery.
Elijah took comfort in the 7,000 people around him, you can take comfort in the millions around you.
While God gave Elijah the blessing of community, Elijah’s ultimate comfort came from the quiet whisper of God. Is your comfort from man? Or from God?
As you close today’s devotional, end with this prayer:
“God, thank you that I am not alone. Thank you for continually being my comfort. Thank you for the wisdom and the training that you have given to my doctor. I pray that I can trust in you to guide my steps through this process and that you would replace my fear with your comfort.”
About this Plan
Over 200 million people will face surgery this year alone. An overwhelming and sometimes scary experience, the Bible thankfully we can turn to the Bible for encouragement and peace. As you aim to correct your physical ailment, a worldly temporary restoration, allow this plan to fuel your spiritual, eternal restoration. This dual purpose will be unpacked over the next 5 days as you walk through the preparatory steps of pre-operative surgery.
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