There's A Prerequisite

Sharing a quiet time thought today. I came across a verse last evening as I was reading a biography of Augustine that caught my attention. I began to think about what Jesus had told His disciples in Matthew 5:8, one of the Beatitudes-- "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." I gave it more attention this morning as I pondered the phrase "they shall see God."

Jesus told Philip that those who have seen Me, have seen the Father (John 14:9). Many did see Him while He was on earth, but most did not recognize Him. Why not? Few were looking for Truth. They had their own ideas of what God would be like. He would fulfill their preconceived notions.

When God confronted Job with His glory after Job had grumbled against Him, Job's eyes were opened in humility. He said to God, "Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.... My ears had heard of You, but now my eyes have seen You (Job 42:3, 5). Humility of heart enabled Job to see God as He is--full of wonder and glory and amazement. Pride keeps us from seeing life, death, God, others, anything clearly. It blurs the lens through which we look. It renders us myopic.

Philip saw Jesus in the flesh, and God spoke to Job directly, but what about those of us in the present? God has spoken for centuries through His Word, the Scriptures. Just as with Job, a humble heart opens our spiritual eyes to His glory and magnificence as we read. And some through the years have seen God as He is.

But Jesus says there is a prerequisite to seeing God. Not all see Him. Many will never see Him. It isn't a physical 'seeing' but, rather, a spiritual 'seeing,' and only the pure in heart see Him. How can we be pure in heart when Scripture tells us that the heart is deceitful and desperately sick. Who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9). And "Who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood" (Psalm 24:4). 

Are we living a lie or living in truth? We only know what truth is from God's Word. And there Jesus tells us that He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Jesus (John 14:6). Any other way that we might be trying, or any other person we might be following, is lifting up the soul to falsehood. It's a lie, plain and simple, that keeps many from seeing God. The sad thing is, so many believe the Lie. They are deceived. Some are even self-deceived (James 1:22).

The Lie says, "Blessed are those who are proud of who they are, for they shall be envied." Blessed are those who trust in their reputation, for they shall be advanced." Blessed are those who have self- confidence, those who don't need God, for they can run their own life." But that, dear one, is lifting up the soul to falsehood. And those who do will not stand in God's holy place. They will never see God.

What a terrible void, a horrible hole in one's heart.

Only those those who are pure in heart, only those living in truth, only those who have come into His presence through Jesus can ever hope to see God.

Seek Him, and you will find Him, for He says, "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13). Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near (Acts 55:6).

I hope you see Him, dear one, and that we will see one another in His Heaven, when we can see Him face to face.

Image ~ Inseparable, Florence Fuller, c1900

via Wikimedia Commons, public domain