‘…the pure in heart…shall see God.’ Matthew 5:8 ASV
In the tabernacle there was a large washbasin called the laver (Exodus 30:18). Its bronze base acted like a mirror letting the priest see the dirt on his feet. Before he could approach God he had to stop and be cleansed, otherwise he would die. The Psalmist writes, ‘…Who may stand in [Your] holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart… He will receive blessing from the Lord…’ (Psalm 24:3-5 NIV) God’s blessings are contingent upon the condition of your heart. Does that mean you must be sinless? No, it means you must be conscious of your sin and deal with it right away. Why the big deal about purity? Because Jesus said, ‘Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.’ The problem is not God’s inability to be seen, but our inability to see Him. No wonder David prayed, ‘Create in me a pure heart…’ (Psalm 51:10 NIV) This word pure is from the Greek word katharos, which means ‘to clean out’. When you’ve heard too much and seen too much, you need a spiritual catharsis. Only a pure heart can understand God’s will and discern His ways. Unidentified, unconfessed, unforgiven sin will block your spiritual arteries. A heart that’s not pure will keep you seeking the wisdom of those around you rather than the ways of God. It will keep you needing prayer instead of offering prayer for others. Don’t carry around what God wants discarded. Get rid of ‘…every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares…’ (Hebrews 12:1 NKJV) What God wants to show you is worth cleaning up for.
SoulFood: Ezek 16:53–19:14, Matt 22:1–14, Ps 103:13–22, Pr 19:17
The Word for Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from UCB International Copyright © 2011
