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

Pause for a moment. Breathe in those words. Breathe in “pure in heart.” Breathe in “see God.”

The weightiness of these words must not be lost on us.

Breathe.

Pure in heart.

See God.

Breathe.

Jesus later tells us that the heart houses and releases evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, and blasphemies (Matthew 15:19).* Think now of all that has been hidden in your own heart. Think of the bitterness, the un-forgiveness, the revenge, and the hate that you have housed and released. I think of my own heart and I shudder.

In this place, the depth of the center of our very being, we hide all sorts of filth. Here, in this place, Jesus calls us to purity; He calls us to be clean.

Cleanliness on the outside comes easier than cleanliness on the inside. Not only does it come easier, but it serves to distract from the filth on the inside, and this is helpful to those of us who like to pretend that we are doing well. It’s helpful in our charade of perfection as we foolishly attempt to convince those around us that we are pure. But what do we get to see when we play this game?

Nothing. We are blind.

To see God, however, we must actually be pure. We must allow God to cleanse us. To do this, the game of charades must end. The pretense of perfection must die. We must come to grips with the log in our own eye, the filth hidden in our hearts, and we must allow Him to see it.

In allowing God to see the filth in our hearts and purify it by His Word and His touch, we will then be able to see Him.

As discussed in one step: Matthew 5.6, the words of Jesus are eschatological in nature. Meaning, Jesus calls us to a purity in heart that allows us to see God in the end of our lives and in the eternity set before us. The purity that comes from the transformation only found by His grace allows us to behold the face of God for eternity. Oh what a promise set before us!

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to admit what hides in your heart. Perhaps today God wants to you to exchange pretend purity for real cleanliness. Maybe today the religious game should end. Perhaps God is asking you to confess to God the filth that He so desperately wants to clean.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a step today… just one is fine.

sign up just below for a daily reminder of the one step devotional. click here to return to devotional list.

*Leon, Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew. Pillar New Testament Commentary (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1992), 100.