Seeing God Every Day

by Darla Noble

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Matthew 5:8

Often times when people read the Beatitudes they focus on the wrong things. They don’t want to have to experience grief in order to get God’s comfort. They don’t want to be peacemakers if it means they won’t get their way or have to admit they might be wrong about something. They don’t want to be persecuted because that’s too hard. And they are convinced that having a pure heart is impossible because after all, aren’t we all sinners?

But like I said—they are focusing on the wrong things. They are focusing on the cost rather than the reward and on the world’s definition and perspective rather than God’s. Take today’s verse for example, being ‘pure in heart’ isn’t about being perfect. Being ‘pure in heart’ is about looking for and seeing God in everything and every day. Being ‘pure in heart’ is about:

• Seeing God’s imagination in the color of zinnias and the smell of roses. • Seeing God’s sense of humor when you look at a rhino, a poodle, and a flamingo. • Seeing God’s attention to detail when you see water evaporating back into the atmosphere and when you see the colors of the fall leaves that were green just a few weeks prior to that. • Seeing God’s little love notes to you when there is a parking spot up front or when the line at the post office isn’t a mile long; meaning you won’t be late in picking up your kids. • Seeing God’s constant TLC when your grandma’s wrinkled, worn, and weary body drifts off to sleep for the last time without having endured a considerable amount of pain and suffering
• Seeing God’s continued and constant position at the helm of the universe when you hold a newborn, see the first flowers of spring pop through the ground, or taste the first beans from the garden each summer

Being pure in heart is seeing God every day, everywhere you look…and knowing it is God.

PRAY: God, Open my eyes and the eyes of my heart to see you everywhere I look. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.