Our church has been going through a 40 Days of Prayer study together. We have a small booklet that leads us through a devotional each day for 40 days. I wanted to share a little bit about what I learned from one of them.
“The pure in heart are blessed,
for they will see God.”
Matthew 5:8 (HCSB)
I don’t know about you, but I want a pure heart. The bible says that if we have pure hearts, we will be blessed because we will see God. And I want to see God.
When I think of pure, I think of freshly fallen snow. There is nothing more beautiful.
Unfortunately, that crisp white snow doesn’t stay beautiful for long. Very quickly it can become dirty from our cars and other pollutants from this world.
I want my heart to look like the first picture, but so many times, it looks more like the second one.
My heart becomes dirty from the things of this world. Maybe it is the shows that I watch on tv, the conversations I have with friends, the music I listen to, or the things I see in everyday life that begin to make my heart impure. Isn’t it hard to stay pure in this impure world?
But I want to see God. I want to see Him each day.
One of my favorite verses is found in Phillipians 4:8…
I believe this verse tells us how to keep a pure heart. We are to think on things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.
Think about such things.
I love the way this same verse is written in The Message…
We are to “fill our minds” and “meditate” on these things.
How do we do that?
Well, I don’t have a perfect answer, but here are my thoughts…
We can pray. We can pray and ask God to help us have a pure heart and be more like Him.
We can read God’s word. This is one of the most important things we can do. I am so grateful for my church that teaches me God’s word.
The bible teaches me to be more like Christ. I will never be perfect like Christ is, but I can try to live as He would have me to.
We can listen to music that is uplifting. (I usually listen to KLOVE radio in the car.)
We can watch shows and movies that are good, not ones that would fill our minds with ugly thoughts.
We can surround ourselves with friends that encourage and inspire us. I have a LOT of great friends, and I am so thankful. 
Trying to be pure in heart is not an easy journey, but if we ask God to help us each day, I know we can do it.
And let’s pray for each other, okay?
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Edited at 3:30 pm
Friends,
I wrote this post before I went to church this morning, and while I was sitting in church, I thought of something that I had to add to my post.
I want you to know that if we believe in Jesus Christ that he washes us white as snow!
Isaiah 1:18 says…
“Come now, let us settle the matter,”
says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool.”
I know that our hearts can be made dirty by our own sins and the evil of this world, but when we are in Christ, we are forgiven and washed clean.
1 John 1:9
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Isn’t that awesome?! So as I was sitting in church, I thought about the two pictures that I had put in this post, and I couldn’t help buy smile when I thought that when God looks at us, he sees this…
Because of Jesus, our sins can be washed away. That is certainly something to celebrate!
I didn’t want anyone to think that if their heart is “dirty” or “impure” that God doesn’t love them. That is the furthest thing from the truth!!! God loves us just the way we are, but loves us so much, he doesn’t want us to stay that way. :) He provides a way for us to be made right with Him through Jesus Christ. If we only believe. Halleluiah and Amen!
God bless you, friends!
I hope you have a wonderful Sunday!
xoxo
It sounds like a wonderful study! Is it material from your church, or a book that others can purchase? The last part is key for me – I often try to do things on my own, but staying ‘white as snow’ is something that can only be done with God’s help and power in us :) Hope you have a wonderful Sunday as well!!
Beautiful post. Thank the Lord that He sees us like that.
Judy
Our Pastor preached on the Beatitudes just this morning. So thankful that Jesus washes as white as snow, removes those sin stains and sees pure hearts in us.
What a wonderful post for a Sunday or any day for that matter. We are redoing a bathroom and let me just say, I know I have not been white as snow through all of the stuff we have gone through doing it, but I know God sees me different and I am so blessed to have you come along and remind me of that. My husband and I have really been stressed doing this one since it was not done correctly to begin with. But God is great and we said from the very beginning it was a process and we do have another bathroom. So thank you for reminding me to stop and be blessed in what we do have. I loved this so much.
Thank you for the uplifting and true description of how Jesus sees His children. I am visual & loved the photos, they are a perfect description. I always love the thoughts you write to turn our attention to Jesus.
I too enjoy bible study, I have learned frim my study if the bible though, we will never see God,,exodus 33:20 and John 1:18 and 1 John 4:12.. We see him through his creation, and things in our life where we know he is a part of it we don’t need to see God to appreciate his existence, the. Bible tells us we cannot see a spirit, and that is what God is….a spirit. Would be happy to elaborate if you ever want to.
Enjoy your blog as well
Mimi in East Tn
Oh I am sorry, Mimi. I should have clarified that. I do not believe that I will actually “see” God here on earth. I do believe that He reveals himself to us through His creation and through others. I always want to keep my eyes open to “see” Him at work in my life every day. And I do believe that I will see Him face to face in heaven.
Thank you for helping me clear that up. :)
Sure, I hope you didn’t think I was being too insistent, I have met some people in my ministry work that do feel they will see God, and of course we know we cannot physically see him. I spend 70 hours a month in the ministry here in east Tn talking to folks about the bible and conduct bible studies, we have had a wonderful article on the origin of halloween many have had their eyes opened to the true meaning behind it. Have a great day!!
Mimi
I love to say this verse with my young children … each of theme proudly saying their key word — my boys say “noble” and “admirable” and my little girl says “lovely” : ) I want to hide this beautiful verse in all our hearts over and over again. Thanks for the photo and reminder — we can never hear it enough in this world! Your blog really reflects valuing beauty and a pure heart — love it : )
Thank you for this lovely post! I forwarded it to many friends and family members. God bless you and your lovely family!
Thank you for sharing the scriptures, we can never read or hear them enough!!!!!Have a lovely God filled Day.
thank you and bless you and I hope you will share more of the encouragement from your 40 das. thank you
Thank you for this uplifting message……..all things are possible through Him who strengthens us!
xo
Holly
Fresh snows provide opportunities for some deep spiritual reflection, don’t they!? I, too, like those Scriptures you chose.
Thank you for blessing us with what you are learning and “building up” the “body”, as well as spreading the gospel to those who have not responded to God’s gift. What a blessing to have met you online! Would love to meet in person someday.
Traci
Thank you for sharing The Word with us today. I have been blessed from this uplifting message too. We had a great service today, studying from Ephesians.
I will pray for you daily as I know you will do the same for me. Please pray that I can be the hands and feet of Jesus to those I work with.
Thank you Traci!
Hugs,
Marilyn C. in West TN
Thank you Traci for the encouraging words. I hope you and your family have a VERY blessed Lords day : )
Amen Traci, Amen. Thank you for the encouraging words.
Just wonderful — His word is always uplifting! BLessings, Traci!
xo Heidi
Thank you so much, Traci, for this hope-filled post!
Thank you for this post from your prompting of the Holy Spirit, and then writing to us about it. I’m having Bunco in December and plan to give out a few verses…the gifts are light based so I have a verse for that, I have a gift verses from 1Peter, and I was only going to use the whiter than snow part of this verse (I have snowmen holders) but maybe also including the entire verse would be ok. But for sure…the part where He has made us whiter than snow. Thank you again. I pinned it!!!
You are so right! Thank you for reminding us all that we’ve been redeemed. This is a beautiful post.
Traci, I so appreciate your blog! I too am a woman who wants to add beauty to my home and to my heart. Thank you for your post!