What is the State of Your Heart?

Daily Devotional

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Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

God expects us to live free from sin. Whether or not we succeed in doing so depends on the state of our heart. The first evidence that God expects us to live free from sin was stated in Leviticus 19:2 where God told the Israelites “be holy because I am holy”. God had high expectations of the Children of Israel: in the same way that He was Holy he expected them to be holy or live free from sin. The sixth beatitude referenced in Matthew 5:8 which says “blessed are the pure in heart” is also a reminder that God expects us to live free of sin. To be pure in heart is to have your heart free from all impurities that could cause you to sin against God.

Because it is not easy to live a life free of sin, some have concluded that it is not possible. However, God would not have established that expectation if it was not possible. Secondly, even in the Old Testament both Job and Noah were referred to by Job 1:1 and Genesis 6:9 respectively as being perfect or undefiled. It is not that they never sinned in their lifetime; but they got to the place in God where they lived above sin. Finally, never forget that one of the reasons the Holy Spirit was given to us was to empower us to live above sin; that means we have been equipped to live without sinning. David gives us a clue as to his approach to keep his heart pure so that he would not sin. In Psalms 119:11 he said “thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Through meditating on, and memorizing scriptures we can embed the word of God in our hearts while at the same time replacing any impure beliefs that could cause us to sin against God.

What is the state of your heart? Is it pure? Or does it still have some impurities? If the latter applies, remove impurities by hiding God’s word in your heart in the same way that David did. The benefit of a pure heart is that it allows us to see God or maintain intimacy with him.

 Life Application: Practice meditating upon and memorizing scriptures to remove all impurities from your heart to allow you to live free from sin.

Prayer: Lord, thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee. Purify my heart oh Lord and help me to be perfect in you. In Jesus name,amen.