Last week we began looking at the beatitude in Matthew 5:8, which reads, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” The Message states it this way, “You’re blessed when you get your inside world – your mind and heart – put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.” We ended by asking ourselves if we really want God to see and know our heart. He does, whether we like it or not, but what are we doing to make sure our heart is clean and fully devoted to Him? Are we ready and willing to pray David’s prayer, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”?
So how can we maintain a pure heart as we go through our days? By ourselves, it is impossible, but what is impossible for us is possible for God! With Him living in us and His Spirit controlling us, we can have a heart which is pleasing to Him.
One of the most primary ways we can develop a pure heart is by spending time in the Word of God. As the psalmist said, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word” (Psalm 119:9) and then in Psalm 119:11, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” If we are struggling with having a pure heart, we need to check how much time we are spending in the Bible.
Another way to maintain a pure heart is through fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ, because it helps to be accountable to one another. Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10,”Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, hisfriend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” The author of Hebrews tells us in 10:24, “Let us consider how we can spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” If you aren’t spending time with other believers, I highly encourage you to make it a priority.
Thirdly, we can train our heart for pure living by serving our Jesus. The more we serve Him, the more devoted we become, and the more we will want to make sure our heart is pleasing to Him.
The end of this beatitude, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God”, gives me chills! When our time on this earth is over, those who have faithfully served Him as their Lord and Savior will see Him face to face for all of eternity. I John 3:2 reads, “We know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is”.
What an amazing promise! Spending eternity with our Jesus is what we should look forward to…beyond college degrees, beyond climbing the corporate ladder or even beyond a secured retirement. Seeing Him face to face will make our focus of having a pure heart all worthwhile!
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