DAY 16: LORD, HELP ME TO HAVE A PURE HEART – PASTOR HEIDEN RATNER

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” – Matthew 5:8

I wonder how it must have felt to be Jacob after wrestling with God in Genesis 32. Or how Moses felt in Exodus 33:11 when he spoke to the Lord “face to face.” Or how about the twelve disciples? How would it have felt to do a three-year internship under King Jesus? These three examples have in common that they all were able to see God in their lifetime and catch a glimpse of His activity in their lives. Maybe you would say, “Yeah, well, that was good for them, but what about me?” Upon the authority of God’s word in Matthew 5:8, you can also have a “see God” moment!

The challenge is for ordinary people like you and me to see God; we must first have a pure heart. Jeremiah the Prophet declared, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:8 ESV) Our sick and deceptive hearts are fogged up with impurities, insecurities, and ego. So, although we may desire to see God, our hearts are distracted by looking at everyone and everything else and often consumed with ourselves. It’s for these reasons that Solomon wisely wrote in the Proverbs: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23 NIV)

Jesus communicated that having a pure heart leads to having pure eyes. The word pure means: “unmixed with any other matter.” (Webster’s Dictionary) It’s the imagery of having a glass of water that is not tainted or mixed with anything. It’s simply clear and unpolluted. This position is where Jesus wants our hearts. Clear of lust, negativity, pride, selfishness, hatred toward others, and anything else that may rob your heart of purity. When our hearts fill up with impurities, those are the things we focus on and, in turn, see. The opposite principle is also true. When our hearts are pure and filled with the things God, He becomes the One that we see, and His hand becomes the thing we see move.Oh Lord, we want to see You move!

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.” – Psalm 19:14 ESV

Father, it’s our deepest desire to see You move in our lives! We want to see and experience Your activity afresh. Help us to have pure hearts and pure minds. Help us take an inventory of all we allow going through our minds and hearts and what we allow our eyes to see. If it’s not pure, help us to remove it. Please give us a new taste for things that our pure and a distaste for impurity—May things we once enjoyed become bland and sour. And may the things of God become fresh and sweet!

Lord, I also ask that in the battle of purity, You empower me with the grace, strength, and wisdom I need to defeat sin and the flesh. When I feel tempted, don’t let me give in. I pray I will pick you everytime. Jesus, thank You for picking me while on the cross. Thank You for dying for my sins and impurities and rising from that grace; I want to see You, Lord, help me to have a pure heart. In Jesus’ name, amen!