Some people don’t want to see God because they don’t believe He exists. Curiously, the people who are most passionate about not believing are the same ones who harbor the greatest doubts.
The rest of us eagerly await the moment when we shall behold Him. One day we’ll meet face-to-face, but for most of us that isn’t today. However, you can see God in other ways because the Holy Spirit offers the opportunity to walk as a friend and favorite in His kingdom on earth.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
Matthew 5:8
God’s Presence in Everyday Life
Evidence of God’s presence is all around you. God Dots mark the places He makes Himself known in your everyday life. Some are small and intimate while others are bold and remarkable. A few months ago I received a new assignment outside of my comfort zone and within minutes a series of unexpected confirmations flooded in by phone and email.
“I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”
Psalm 27:13
Jesus says that the pure in heart will see God, but what does that mean? An illustration appeared on the walking trail in the form of a flower. I didn’t notice it the day before, but there it was, at least thirty inches tall, and vividly out of place in a monochromatic sea of green trees, bushes, plants, and grass.
It’s the weirdest flower I’ve ever seen. I learned later in the day that it’s a Red Spider Lily, but knowing it’s name takes nothing away from its exotic appearance, strange attributes, and unexpected arrival, like God Dots.
What is Pure?
The 1828 Dictionary defines pure as “Separate from all heterogeneous or extraneous matter; as pure water; pure sand; pure air.” The definition continues, “Free from moral defilement; without spot; not sullied or tarnished; incorrupt, genuine; true.”
When I consider pure in the sense of this Beatitude, I think:
- Simple
- Undistracted
- Aware
- Without complexity
- Clear vision
- Without hidden agenda
The first five attributes are largely self-explanatory, but the sixth one may not be as obvious.
Pure Hearts Don’t Have Hidden Agendas
Perspective and agenda are huge elements of both purity and walking the path Jesus has for you, not one of your own preference or imagination. Delighting in God’s Will means preferring His agenda above all others.
Hidden agendas are secret or ulterior motives that intend to deceive. They appear one way, masquerading as words or behaviors that bless or elevate others, but are completely self-serving.
Discovering Something New
The weird red flower didn’t exist in my world until I saw it. What would happen if someone discovered a living dinosaur? There are two ways scientists respond when they discover new life; they observe it or they collect (kill) it.
According to a recent article in the New Scientist:
“The reality is that in order to document, understand and launch conservation strategies, where needed, for most species on this planet, we have to kill and study them. It is the only way to have any hope of knowing, with reasonable confidence, what they are.”
Ouch!
On the other hand, regarding a new species of river dolphin discovered in Brazil in 2014, from a National Geographic article:
“But [Howard Rosenbaum, director of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Ocean Giants program in New York] also saw reason for caution, because the scientists had only a few specimens in the study. Loath to kill living animals for study, the team relied on an animal that was found dead and a few samples that were already held in museums.”
These were my thought as I photographed the odd red flower. If it really were a new species, chances are it would be plucked for study—removed from its habitat, hjjacking whatever purpose God had for creating it where and when He did.
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
Matthew 6:33
The Agenda Jesus Teaches
The pure in heart don’t have hidden agendas, but praise God for His creativity and provision, seek His will (not their own), boldly speak simple truth, and know that the father of deception is Satan.
Jesus teaches the Father’s agenda in the Lord’s Prayer:
- Thy kingdom come
- Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven
- Forgiveness is key
- Temptation is real
- We need deliverance from the evil one
- All power is God’s
- All glory is His
- Forever.
God’s Unique Vision and Purpose for You
You have the option to seek God’s agenda or come up with one of your own. Are you content where God has you today?
- Do you serve in the here and now or wait for some Big Opportunity?
- Do you give the best of yourself to those closest to you?
- Do you want to be discovered, to go viral?
- Is there any task too trivial to do now and do well?
- When’s the last time you washed someone’s feet?
In Genesis 3:1, the serpent’s deception was a choice between competing agendas. God placed Adam and Eve in the garden according to His plan and purpose. When Adam and Eve succumbed to the desire for something more glamorous they were plucked from their place and eventually died.
The Pure of Heart See God
Seeing God by recognizing His presence in your life is tied to purity of heart. Think of spirit like velcro, one side soft and the other scratchy, the two firmly bonding when they meet. There’s more than one spirit in the world. Take care to only let the Holy Spirit bond to yours.
Spiritual activity is accelerating at an amazing rate. Watch for it, expect it, and discern what spirit seeks to bond to your spirit.
Maintain purity of heart and you shall see God.
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
1 John 4:1
Related post: Intimacy With God, The Power of Small Gestures
Another related post: Your Daily Ministry—Serve and Obey
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