Day 23: Feeling Freedom

Once again, I was running today and had my eyes opened by God. I updated my Bible app on my phone and can listen the Bible while I am running now. I am reading about David. He is an amazing man in scripture. God blesses him at every turn even when he is sinning. David is called a man after God's own heart. He dealt with a lot. (David is my second favorite Bible character behind Joseph so far). David overtook the city of Jerusalem even though it was thought impossible. They told him that they could defend the city with the blind and lame but David took it anyways.

The city of Jerusalem was and is still a point of controversy throughout history to now. People have fought over the City of David for centuries a and hundreds of thousands of people have lost their lives to be a part of the "salvation" of Jerusalem, but this all started with David. He settled there and built his kingdom from there. He met with God there. He lived one of the most amazing lives in history there.

One of the most interesting things I have read in Samuel is about Davids heart being so compassionate to his enemy. The Bible says that several times, Saul (the king who tried to kill David on numerous occasions) was given into Davids hands and David had to make a choice each time. Once, Saul was in a cave and David had to decide what to do because he had the drop on Saul and Saul didn't even know it. He just cut his robe and let him live. Now this is where the amazing part comes in. Not only did David leave him alive but the Bible says he felt bad for cutting the robe of the Lords anointed. In another part, the Bible describes how an Amalakite had admitted to David that he helped Saul kill himself and thought this would please David because Saul had been hunting David for years. David had the man killed because he had admitted to killing the Lords anointed king and David morned for Saul.

I don't understand how to get to the point in life that I can cry for my enemies and long for them to be in the kingdom. I don't understand how someone can get to the point where they can utter the words, "Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing!" I want to be unfazed by the actions of those that wrong me.

So for day 23, I accomplished the following:

No Drinking
No Smoking
P90X Diet and Exercise
No Lying
No Dates
Allotted Bible Reading

Changes:

I titled this feeling freedom. Last night I heard something about this girl that did me wrong. I heard about her and her struggles with other guys (this boyfriend of hers who treats her poorly, another guy she used to date), and I didn't feel anger that she was pursuing other relationships. I felt bad for her. I knew at that point that she was confused and searching for love in all the wrong places. She is doing the same thing I had done for so many years. Searching for something in this miserable little world that is going to bring happiness. I felt a little like David mourning for Saul. It was a new feeling. Instead of taking this news personally, all I wanted to do was show her kindness and support. All I wanted to do was help her.

I think for one of the first times during this experience I felt what I am searching for. I felt unfazed by the actions of this girl. I felt freedom.