Bible and the Brain: A Devotional for Tbi SurvivorsSample

Memory Verse: Psalm 49:15 - But God will rescue me from the power of death.

Death. Yeah, the idea of death is pretty heavy. I always knew I'd face it....someday.

Well, “someday” came sooner than I'd expected. I call it "The Day My Brain Exploded."

Romans 8:6 (CEV) says if our minds are ruled by our desires, we will die. But if our minds are ruled by the Spirit, we will have life and peace.

Long story short, there were parts of my early life where I was surrendered to God and His Spirit. However, a good majority was ruled by my desires and flesh. Guess which parts have been peaceful and which ones have been stressful?

You guessed it. Every year that I 'did what I wanted' or 'thought I wanted' brought me closer to my impending death without me even knowing it. I don't want to go too deep into this on Day One, but know that even if you think you have everything "under control," you don't. God does. And He has unique ways of reminding us who's really in charge.

Now, let's talk about stress. The day I suffered my brain aneurysm, AVM rupture, and a massive stroke was highly stressful, a big wake-up call about my life, my brain, and most importantly, my soul. Trusting myself was something 'culture' taught me, but trusting myself also removed my reliance on Jesus. My Savior.

Bottom Line: Jesus paid the debt I could never afford for my life. I was born into sin. My life was doomed from the very beginning because the will of man wanted priority over the will of God. In recovery, I noticed that things would go wrong whenever I decided to do something without consulting God or did something blatantly outside of His will. I saw this frequently in my life, health, and relationships.

Proverbs 3:5 (CEV) With all your heart, you must trust the Lord and not your own judgment.

Yes, there was grace and mercy, but God would only co-sign the things I did according to HIS WILL. More on that tomorrow, but remember that part. It's crucial to your destiny.