Life Changes

These last 2 months in India have been a major influence on my faith in God. I've been so many people begging to know God, kids memorizing scripture verses in their second language, and adults falling to the ground as the presence of the Spirit of God has come into them. I lived in a country (USA) primarily controlled by secularism. Where even Christians still think logically/scientific about their faith. Personally, I've been challenged by the beautiful people here in India to look past my scientific mindset and just let the Spirit come in with no questions asked.

While preparing for my preaching in a few days, and reading my daily bible devotion, I came across Psalm 27. David writes this Psalm to God right after he had an opportunity to kill his enemy, King Saul, in a cave David, and his army of 600 were hiding in. David's men tell him to kill Saul, but David knows God has anointed Saul to be king of Israel, no matter how corrupt and evil he had become. David cuts a piece of Saul's robe in secret, and while Saul and his army are marching away from the cave David emerges and yells out to Saul. David explains that he had the opportunity to kill Saul, but he didn't. Saul in return blesses David, and stops pursuing David for a while.

Psalm 27 challenged me, because David is praising God for His protection. 1 Samuel 13:14 states that 'he is a man after God's own heart'. This is not because David is sinless. Actually, David is quite the opposite. David lies, cheats, steals, commits adultery, and even murders to cover up his adultery. David is a called 'a man after God's own heart' because David's number priority is to dwell in the presence of God for all eternity.

My ultimate prayer in life is to get to that point of longing to being with God above all else. God has used my presence in India to challenge me to change my character. I'm not the man I once was. I need God, and I acknowledge this now. My faith is in Him, and I pray that nothing else will matter in my life as long as I'm in His presence.