Observation: The sixth blessing from the sermon on the mount is this one. In more traditional versions, it blesses the "pure in heart" for "they will see God." While many of the blessings are bit more of a surprise twist ... people who are "blessed" due to bad or unfortunate circumstances, but are actually recipients of great love ... this one is a bit more obvious. Those who have made their thoughts pure and focused on the Lord, will then see and experience the Lord more clearly all around them.
Application: It is here that I so greatly struggle. My mind is a jumbled mess of sports, games, and fictional dreams. My mind and my heart of rarely purified and calm and quiet, and when they are that quiet purity isn't always fixed upon God. This is the area of faith where I am absolutely at my worst ... simply living with a pure heart, mentally and emotionally checking in with Yahweh, and thus I fail to receive the reward that is experiencing God's majesty and greatness and love in the everyday world around me.
Sometimes I think that, in my daydreaming about a different life, I miss out on the chance to have the best life possible.
I have seen first-hand the truth behind the beatitudes. I have received blessing - outright miraculous love - when I have been walking through sadness, humility, lostness, fervor, and persecution. However, I am held back from truly experiencing God in my everyday life because I struggle to get my inside world - my mind and heart - put right. When will I learn?
Prayer: Lord, I would love to say that my most common prayer is for your will to be done, or praise to your greatness, or even asking for forgiveness, but unfortunately it is probably this. I pray for you to take my hand and walk with me. I desire to see you and experience you in my everyday, walking-around life. And yes, I know the issue here is my own heart and mind, so again I ask for your divine help with this. Please give me a new heart, a heart that is focused on you, that loves others, and that does not dwell on earthly alternatives and thoughts. Amen.
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