“God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.” Matthew 5:8
Have you been desiring to have a real, intimate relationship with God? The fact that you're reading this devotional shows this is something you long for. This verse in Matthew shows us how to see God and how to grow closer to Him!
In order to see God we must have a pure heart. The word "pure" means: “Not mixed or tainted with any other substance or material.” To have a pure heart doesn’t mean that you must be perfect or never make mistakes, but because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross, we have been made pure by His blood.
To live a life of purity before God doesn’t just mean avoiding obvious, sinful temptations in our lives. It goes beyond that! There’s a place in loving God where the question is no longer, “How much can I get away with and it still not be considered sin?”, but rather this cry of our hearts: “How abandoned and surrendered can I truly be for God?”
There may be things in your life that might not be outright sin, but affect your connection with God. Take for example, social media. Having social media is not a sin, but it can absolutely cause our hearts to feel disconnected to God and can affect the way we see Him. Because we love God so much, anything that hinders our relationship with Him is a no-brainer to go without.
Because of what Jesus has done for us through His blood and broken body on the cross, we have been washed clean from our sinful condition. Purity is so much more than the condition of your body or whether you’re living a lifestyle of sin or not; it’s a condition of the heart. When God looks at us, He no longer sees our stain of sin. He sees a new creation! We have been made pure by Jesus, white as snow. If Jesus gave everything for us to be close to Him, we should desire to give Him every part of our lives.
You don’t strive to be pure. You can’t earn to be pure. Jesus made you pure! It’s not legalism to want to no longer watch those movies, make those jokes, listen to that music, hang out with that crowd… It's love! Those things may not inherently be sin in your life, but Jesus is so worthy of being Lord of all in your life. He gave it all for you to be close to Him.
That's what we signed up for, isn't it? When we give our life to Jesus, Jesus has the full rights to add and subtract anything in our life. But here's good news: anything Jesus takes away, He replaces. He is so much better than any earthly thing! The more you draw near to Him, the more He draws near to you. The more of your heart you give to Him, the more you see God! The more you keep your eyes, your mind, and your heart pure, the more you see God.
Questions for Application
- Confess any sins to God so that He can heal your heart and make it pure.
- Ask God what things you need to give up in order to seek Him more. This may be a temporary break, or a permanent change. Whatever it may be, consider it a sacrifice to God so that you can have more of Him!
Prayer
"Father, I understand the cost of purity. Make my heart pure, no matter what I have to give up. Remove the impurities and the things that stop me from seeing you properly. Help me to seek you more, and as I abstain from sin, consecrate my heart to do your will.”