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

This was an easy verse to memorize, but as I meditate on this It’s one of the hardest verses. What does it mean to be pure? When gold is mined, it’s an ore that is not pure, there are other minerals mixed in with the gold. Though a gold nugget can be worth a lot of money, until it’s been refined, the true value is never realized.
To refine the gold, the ore is placed in a crucible, usually made of graphite or porcelain, and it is heated to extremely high temperatures.  At this point the gold is liquid, and above the gold is dross, a scum of minerals and carbon, which is skimmed off.

Pure in heart means my desires need to be pure.  The dross of this fallen world have penetrated my heart with filth, vices and sins. These things have caused my heart not to be pure, my motivations tend to be self centered, rather than Christ centered.  It’s the God’s holy word, The Bible, which when read, will convict me and cleanse me of that dross.  God uses people through preaching, teaching, conversation and prayer to help refine my thinking.

As I’m being refined, there is less and less dross,  and my purity is increased.  None of us start out being pure, but it takes work to make us pure.  The Holy Spirit is working on my heart and he’s showing me ways I’ve violated God’s Law, and this again is another way God makes us pure.  Will we ever stop sinning here on Earth?  No, but this process of sanctification will lead us to be totally without sin when we leave this earth.

Lord, you are the refiner of my heart, work me, change me, mold me, and make me into what you want me to be.  May I be pure in heart, I do desire to see You!