The pure in heart
will see God. We often think that if we fast enough, pray enough or read our Bibles enough, our hearts will automatically become pure. But, unfortunately, some who fast, pray & read the Bible the most, can have some of the most vile hearts. What is missing? God purifies our heart “through” suffering. What does that mean? Challenging occurrences, seasons & people (1) reveal what is in our heart (2) provide the opportunity for our heart to be cleansed (disciplined), by putting to practice the things that we have learned by: praying, reading the Bible & fasting. Remember, Israel was delivered from bondage “by the blood of the lamb.” But, “after” deliverance, they went into the wilderness & their heart was revealed. Unfortunately that generation failed the test. My prayer is that each of us will pass the test. Matthew 5:8. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Hebrews 12:10-11 ERV 10 Our fathers on earth disciplined us for a short time in the way they thought was best. But God disciplines us to help us so that we can be holy like him. 11 We don’t enjoy discipline when we get it. It is painful. But later, after we have learned our lesson from it, we will enjoy the peace that comes from doing what is right.
Deuteronomy 8:2 ERV And you must remember the entire trip that the Lord your God has led you through these 40 years in the desert. He was testing you. He wanted to make you humble. He wanted to know what is in your heart. He wanted to know if you would obey his commands.
Hebrews 3:7-12 TLB 7-8 …be careful to hear his voice today and not let our hearts become set against him, as the people of Israel did. They steeled themselves against his love and complained against him in the desert while he was testing them. 9 But God was patient with them forty years, though they tried his patience sorely; he kept right on doing his mighty miracles for them to see. 10 “But,” God says, “I was very angry with them, for their hearts were always looking somewhere else instead of up to me, and they never found the paths I wanted them to follow.” 11 Then God, full of this anger against them, bound himself with an oath that he would never let them come to his place of rest. 12 Beware then of your own hearts, dear brothers, lest you find that they, too, are evil and unbelieving and are leading you away from the living God.
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