My brother in law, Kevin, had been going through a difficult time. His wife left him, he injured his back, his business wasn’t thriving and he suffered a great financial loss. Now, the Kevin I know is very handsome, confident, athletic, healthy, positive, successful and of strong faith.
One day I was discussing with my friend some of the difficulties Kevin was going through. She told me to text him the verse, Jeremiah 29:11. Later that afternoon, my husband called me and urgently told me to call his brother because he was having a breakdown. So I hesitantly hung up with my husband and called Kevin.
He answered the phone sobbing. He told me that his friend was coming and an ambulance was coming to take him to a hospital. He didn’t have time to talk and would call me back later. I was fine with that. I didn’t know what I was going to say anyway.
I hung up and sat there in my seat with the crying voice of that strong man I knew going through my head. I turned in my chair and started crying out to God to help Kevin. I asked God to please surround him with Christian people that would help guide and comfort him. My prayer was short and to the point.
That evening when my husband came home from work, he was on the phone with Kevin, and I could tell that it was a positive conversation. When he got off, he told me that when Kevin got to the hospital in Dallas, a female doctor from Houston who only came to Baylor once a week was the doctor on staff that night.
She told Kevin from a medical standpoint he was suffering from quite a few things, such as depression, which was all amplified by the medicine he was on for his injured back. Then she said, “But from a spiritual standpoint, God told me you have a control issue.” She said, “Wait here for a minute. I’ll be back.”
She quickly left the room, came back, and handed him a printed paper with Jeremiah 29:11 on it. He was blown away. He told her that I had just sent him that verse earlier that morning. Not only did God answer my prayer to send Kevin a Christian doctor, but He reaffirmed me that He hears my prayers and answers them.
He knows me so well and knows when I am getting off track. He also knows Kevin and knows that he does have an issue with control. God is teaching Kevin and me that only He has complete control.
Memory Verse:
“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the LORD. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’”
– Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)
Prayer Prompt:
“God, I am thankful that You are so good and loving and that You gently pull me back every time I start slipping away. Seems like whenever I get comfortable in my life, you give me that little nudge that brings me closer to You. God, I want to always be humble and seek You first, and I know that You will always be in control…”
Contributing Writer:
Tasha Schaded
Tasha, I could feel the Holy Spirit in this devotional. Thank you for sharing how God still works in and through his children to touch the lives of others.