“…if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chr. 7:14
God calls us His. We are God’s holy possession. We are not only forgiven sinners but redeemed saints. Jesus’ mission is to transform our hearts in order that we may orient ourselves to the One who heals and empowers. Jesus said: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
A genuine love for oneself and a love for others stems from a pure heart. Fortunately, purity is not attainable or maintained by human effort or built by human hands. Purity is revealed through the heart and character of God. Maintaining a philosophy of morality and mere Christian head knowledge will not do. The gift of purity is given to cleanse, restore, and deliver a broken and contrite heart. Purity is birthed out of simply believing in the One who is pure. Jesus is able to set our hearts at rest in the presence of God because His love is faithful and just to refine us to walk in love.
Jesus is the image of the invisible God. Let us live out a life worthy of His blood shed for us. There is no greater love than the One who is ready and willing to wash us daily through and through by His Word and Spirit. We have a new heart, a heart that speaks of His– a heart filled with compassion, gentleness, humility, patience, and loving-kindness. Jesus is the light in us. The purity of His love restores us and makes us new. As a new creation, we receive this life as a gift and as an opportunity to see God in our midst.
It’s easy to react in anger, strife, jealousy, and in hostility when the reality of this life strikes us but God challenges us in these moments to experience what we are truly made of in Christ. His love resolves and produces sustainable results in order to shift the course of history. We can come to know God because His Spirit enables us to love others like He loves. Let us discover the love that covers a multitude of wrongs. Jesus delivers us from the power of sin and draws us into Himself. His forgiveness makes us immune to the residual effects of guilt and corruption. His forgiveness is our purity. In order to see God, we must have a hunger for a pure heart and revere what His forgiveness gives us as children of God.
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! Dear friends, now we are children of God… when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.” 1 Jn. 3:1-3
Jesus knocks at the door of our hearts waiting for us to respond in genuine faith as He speaks in a still-small voice: “If my people, who are called by my name…” Honest prayer leads us into a heavenly hope and prepares us for a new beginning. Let the Church pray that the integrity of the Gospel would remain in our hearts unscathed by deceit and refined by the times and seasons we are in. Let us effectively proclaim the goodness of our God and stay on mission to bind up the brokenhearted that we may come forth as gold. This is love in the the Spirit unleashed by the power of a broken and contrite heart. Jesus doesn’t want our good deeds, our self-confidence, or our judgements. He wants humble hearts and honest prayers. Let us seek His face today to discover the power and purpose of healing prayer.
Prayer: Lord, I come to you with a broken and contrite heart. I recognize I fall short and that I receive much more than I give out. Lord change my heart. Make me more like you. I thank you for your love and your forgiveness that refines me and reminds me that I am yours. May your grace go before me that I may be a light for others. I receive your love today fresh and anew. Thank you Lord for loving me the way you do! Amen.
Additional verses: 1 Pe. 2:9; Matt. 5:8; Ps. 51:17; 1Jn. 1:9; Col. 1:15; Eph. 4:1; Eph. 5:26; Col. 3:12; 2 Co. 5:17; Ro. 5:5; 1 Pe. 4:8; Re. 3:20; Is. 61:1; Mal. 3:17; Job 23:10
