The Bible gives great importance to the heart. We know the verse which urges us to guard our heart with all diligence. Some other versions of the Bible mention it as, watch over our hearts with all care, utmost care.
All this points to the great importance of keeping a check on what we think and consider and allow our minds to have thoughts about and continue thinking about. Not the word all diligence, all care, utmost care. Essentially pointing that absolutely nothing should be allowed to cross this gate/checkpoint without your intentional approval. Nothing approved should be allowed in. Not to be casual about matters brought for thinking for a moment or longer. The moment you sense it as an unhealthy thought, just change that thought, better still go into a thought acceptable by God. You just do not want to even have a trace of poison thought. Every thought is either healthy or poisonous. Poisons are of various grades – those that induce sudden death or slow death – both are to be hated and not considered.
Proverbs 4:23
Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. (New King James Version)
Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life. (Amplified Bible)
Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. (New Living Translation)
Now examining the later part, What is the benefit of being so much careful, attentive to what you allow in your heart, what thoughts you peppermint in your mind.
This is clearly articulated in the verse, as the heart is the one thing which determines the course of your life. What is allowed in the heart, what is given time in the mind determines the issues of life, the springs of life.
Thus if the course of life is determined by what is in our heart, we better maintain the heart without evil thoughts, rather we should desire to have a pure heart which pleases God. Because our creator has a plan and a purpose for our life and it is best we achieve His plans and purposes from our lives and nothing less. So that when we meet the Lord, we hear from Him, well done. We should be the reason for His Joy.
Similarly often, whether your heart is pure or impure, others may not discern any difference. It’s like the glass of water – the glass with the impure tap water and the glass with the pure bottled water would just look the same. But the person you notice the differences is God Almighty, He notices. With regard to the water, a microscope can find it.
Here are the Benefits of a Pure Heart
1. In 1 Samuel, verse 7, we read, “The LORD told Samuel, “Don’t look at His appearance or his height, for I’ve rejected him. Truly, God does not see what man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart. So if you want to reach your destiny, your full potential, to be chosen by GOD, take good care of your HEART, maintain it pure.
Why is getting chosen by God important? If you are chosen by God, no wall, no hindrance can block your progress, you can even forget envious and jealous friends and relations. Here in this case, David’s Dad & his brothers had decided to ignore him, totally ignoring him from the feast when Prophet Samuel had visited their home.
2. Your words, your vocabulary, what you speak becomes good & wholesome, if you take care of your heart. Thus good and people pleasing God would desire to spend time with you, have conversations with you. Matthew 15, verse 18 to 19 says, “What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart . . . For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a man“
3. Thus if you take care of your heart, you can also have a clean body. Read again the latter part of the last biblical reference. Before physical adultery takes place, adultery happens in the heart. Adultery in both forms is sinful. When any desire is pursued with greater importance than walking in God’s ways, it is adulterous. Mathew 5, verse 27 to 28 says, “You shall not commit adultery.” But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman
4. Adultery in all forms is evil and is to be hated – adultery in thoughts, as well as the physical act of adultery. As this topic is important, here is the verse. You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.(Matthew 5:27–28). If you take care of your heart, you can stay away from adultery. This includes adultery in thoughts and physical – both are evil. Although what is in your heart is not known to others, it’s a secret chamber which you know and God knows. Your mind is the root, below the ground not visible, which bears seen fruits – your actions, your words, your plans are all based on your thoughts (hidden roots) known only to you.
5. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” This is from Mathew 5, verse 8. Thus, “if you take care to maintain a clean heart, you can see GOD, can gain permission to be in HIS presence.“
6. King David says, with clean hands & pure heart, you can go to HIS presence & stand in HIS presence (ascend the Hill of the Lord). Read the Psalm 24, verses 3 to 4, “ Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false, and does not swear deceitfully.”
7. Yet again another awesome benefit of maintaining a pure heart, can be seen in James, where it states, “Draw near to Jesus & HE will draw near to you. Read James 4, verse 8, “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you men of double mind.” A double minded person, is a hypocritical person, a person whose intent and action are not fully aligned, a person who is deceptive, unfaithful.
How would you recognize a person with a pure heart? A person with a pure heart will love God with All his/her Heart – total, not partial this is the very first commandment. You may have noticed by now, that loving God with All heart, echoing of a “pure heart”.
In Hebrews chapter 12, verse 14, Jesus says, “Strive for . . . the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.” For many of us who feel distressed at the prospect that we would not be able to see God, Jesus is quick to give a relief in Hebrews 12, verse 24, when he mentions, “With men it is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
1. With the benefits of a pure heart well established, here are the 3 keys to have a clean heart, viz. Cry to God, “Create in me a Clean Heart”. This is mentioned in Psalm 51, verse 10. You can prayerfully sing this at the following YouTube link https://youtu.be/6lBhvTAfmIk
2. Instead of looking at yourself, look, focus at HIM, who can make you clean. Read verse 14 chapter 2 of Titus, where Christ “gave himself for us . . . to purify for himself a people.”
3. It is Jesus Christ, who cleans and purifies our heart, when we accept his saving grace by faith. Therefore, without any doubt, with all certainty, trust in the Lord with ALL your heart, as mentioned in provers 3, verse 5.
Will these 3 steps, you will see God. Trust in Him, Acts 15:9
