Date: August 8, 2010 9:00 PM
Topic: +DEV+ Seeing God
Seeing God
"Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol..." (Psalm 24:3-4a).
Scripture Focus: 1 John 3:2-3
Crowds of needy people followed Jesus up to the hill country where He spoke to them about the blessings God has reserved for humanity.
One such blessing is to "see" God. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God" (Matthew 5:8). So we must ask "What is a pure heart?"
Our natural hearts are centered on self, focused on self-satisfaction. Jesus sacrificed His lifeblood to show us a better way. When we focus our hearts' eyes on Him, we can receive His blessings. We must not let what our physical eyes see overshadow the spiritual sights that offer blessings beyond our comprehension.
A "pure" heart longs for holiness. Without it, Hebrews 12 tells us, we will not see the Lord. Though we know that even our best attempts to be "holy" fall drastically short, we rest in His promise that He Himself will clothe us in His righteousness. With Isaiah we proclaim, "I delight greatly in the Lord...for he has clothed me with garments of salvation...and a robe of righteousness" (61:10).
Insight: Once our hearts become pure, our spiritual vision will clear so we can see God.
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