pure heart......Can I claim to have one? If I peek into this guarded heart, can I honestly claim it to be pure? Can you? Is it reasonable to say that we have thoughts and attitudes that are not pure? How many questions will I ask before I offer up an answer? We can hide our thoughts and attitudes from others but we cannot hide them from ourselves and we sure cannot hide from the Lord.
Beginning some time ago, I felt a gradual shaking of what I knew to be true. I found out that - get ready - Christians are just normal people. Gasp. Normal people who make mistakes. Normal people who hurt others with their words and their actions. Normal people who may fail tragically. Normal people who get caught up in self and all that entails. So what did I do with this discovery? For a time, I grieved. For a time, I was mad. For a time, I was confused. All the while I prayed. All of the aforementioned are perfectly normal and necessary in processing information and emotions; all necessary for identifying truths from feelings. Regretfully, there was a time or two, when I allowed satan a foothold and he took full advantage. Then came Victory! I called His name and He spoke words of encouragement. He covered me in His grace. He wrapped me in His cloak of never ending love. He reminded me of His gift of mercy that I've received so many times. Truth revealed my own errs as He gently held the mirror to my wounded face. I heard Him loud and clear. My wounds were real but how would I choose to respond? I choose Love. I choose Grace. I choose Mercy. I choose my relationship with my Father over all else. I choose to have a pure heart.
Psalms 119:9-10 – “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart. Do not let me stray from your commands.”
