Matt 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

The heart is where God looks. The Bible says in 1 Sam 16:7 “…For the Lord does not see as a man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” This is a good way for us to look at people as well. I have been blessed to serve here at the church for many years with people in ministry positions and volunteers who have and had such good hearts….hearts surrendered to God with strong convictions and full of love and compassion for people.

The heart is where the big issues of life are settled. It was said about Daniel in Daniel 1:8 “Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank…” Daniel shows us that when we want to settle issues and form lasting convictions of what is right and wrong it is important these issues get settled deep in our hearts. Daniel and the three Hebrew children were blessed much by God for the commitment they made and they were just young teens when this occurred.

The word pure in Matt 5:8 is translated from the Greek as clean or unmixed. David prayed in Psalm 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Do you believe God can do such a thing for us? I hope you do. King David did so I do as well. God put this prayer in His Word so we could claim such a work in our hearts. I grew up going to a church and camp meetings where I heard the saints testify how they stayed at the altar until God answered their prayer, a prayer that by faith they believed God could not only forgive their sin, but, that He could also cleanse their heart. They were also some of the most humble, godly people I knew.

This beatitude says the pure in heart will see God. This certainly refers to us being in heaven one day. It also speaks to the here and now as well. The pure in heart walk closely with God and are blessed to see God in His creation, in the way God works in their life and the lives of others, in events happening in the world and in God’s Word when they read it.

A good prayer to consider praying each day is found in Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.”

Have a great rest of your day!

Tim