“For the righteous Lord loves justice. The virtuous will see his face.” Psalm 11:7

Constable, in his commentary on Psalms, tells us that “seeing God” is a synonym for having an intimate relationship with God. In the natural world, we make friends with like-minded people. Likewise, if we desire fellowship with God, we become like-minded with him.

We also find this thought in the Sermon on the Mount, when Jesus is telling us how to live a blessed life, “God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). Being "pure in heart" or “virtuous” isn’t about our actions so much as it’s about our attitude and motives. When we’re pure in heart, our actions will flow from our desire to please God. The opposite is using cover-ups and deception to create a good impression.

The prophet, Malachi describes Jesus as “a blazing fire that refines metal, or like a strong soap that bleaches clothes” (Malachi 3:2) and his ministry is described as making his people pure in heart. He does this by using our circumstances to reveal and refine our intentions. This is important because we’re often unaware of our true motives.

Jeremiah writes, “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives” (Jeremiah 17:9-10). When David wanted a pure heart, he prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life” (Psalm 139:23-24).

If we desire to have a close relationship with God, it means asking him to purify our inner attitudes and motives.

Let’s pray …

Thank you Lord that you created me for intimate fellowship with you and right now you’re working to purify my heart. Cleanse my attitudes and motives so I will “see your face.”

In Jesus’ name
Amen