Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Matthew 5:8

For Meditation

Pure in heart! What an excellent proposition!

You can appreciate this if you have lived in areas where water is so polluted. It makes you sick to be thirsty, yet you train your mind to disregard it and your body to adjust to its poison. But I will be quick to admit that the best water to drink comes from streams that run their natural courses and ecosystems, shaded by vast canopies of trees, untouched by negative human activity, until they empty their precious delicacies into larger rivers or lakes. Unfortunately, such streams are becoming rare in our world today.

The heart is like those streams. It pours out life into the world and communicates its knowledge and appreciation of its Maker. The quality of its outflow determines our appreciation of that life and God’s reception of the person. God promises to open Himself to the person whose heart is devoid of the contaminants of this vile world. Such a person desires no place in this world other than the very presence of God, where he flourishes the most. What are the characteristics of a pure heart?

The first is a single-minded devotion to God. It cherishes maintaining its purity and directs its attention to this endeavor. The will is undivided for Christ, the focus of their life. It does not entertain any contradictory opinions, shifting between what appeals to it and any circumstance. Why wouldn’t God love to have such a person in His presence?

Secondly, immorality is distasteful to the pure in heart. Such a person keeps it far from their company as much as possible. The purity of their heart is not the product of perfection. The determination to walk away from everything immoral is their cherished goal. Joseph and Daniel can speak to this (Gen. 39:7-9; Dan. 1:8).

Finally, the pure in heart values integrity and faithfulness. You can trust such people with any responsibility and expect the desired results. That makes them dependable. Isn’t that godly? Need I say more to justify God’s open door into His gracious presence?