August 30

Why Many Miss God, and How to Truly See Him

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:4

Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). It’s not just a nice thing to say, that’s a promise with eternal consequences. We all say we want to see God at work in our lives, but are we willing to pay the price to purity of heart?

To be pure is to be singular. It means that you’re not divided in your heart. James warned, “purify your hearts, you double minded” (James 4:8). Trying to hold onto sin in one hand, while taking God’s hand with the other, just doesn’t work. The instant you bring the values and patterns of the world into your walk with God, you will begin to lose your spiritual vision.

The Word is clear: “Without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). This does not mean that we just have to sit in a pew, wear a collar and call ourselves religious. God is not deceived by a religious mask. He sees the heart. David pleaded, “create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). Purity begins when we stop making excuses for sin, we confess it and turn from it.

Having a pure heart does not mean that we never struggle with temptation. Paul even confessed that he still struggled with sin in his own life: “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24). The struggle is real, but so is the Spirit of God. When we walk in the light, He then will bring His cleansing grace into our lives to expose what is wrong with us (1 John 1:7). You do not remain blind. But by the blood of Jesus, you begin to see what needs to change and you give it over to the obedience of Christ.

Think of Moses. He even asked to see God and when God told him that he could not see His face, God did let him see His glory from the cleft of the rock (Exodus 33:18–23). That was enough to move Moses to write, “in the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). Purity of heart sharpens your vision so you can see God at work, in Scripture, in history, and in your own life.

But here is the foundation: the only way we will ever truly know God, is through His Word. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). The Bible is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12). When we hide God’s Word in our hearts, it will then begin to cleanse us and guide our steps (Psalm 119:9, 11, 105). Without the Word of God, there can be no pure heart, for it is only by the living truth of God’s Word, that we are then shaped and transformed.

So, the question is this: do you really want to see God for yourself? Not just as an idea, not through someone else’s story, but in your own walk with the Lord? Jesus said this blessing is only for the pure in heart. The less divided your heart is, the clearer you will see His hand moving in your life.

Stop letting the world poison your soul. Stop mixing man’s wisdom with God’s truth. He does not need your help, He is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He knows how to cleanse your heart and open your eyes. But He is calling you to come clean, confess, repent and walk in His light.

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

Job 34:1-36:33
2 Corinthians 4:1-12
Psalm 44:1-8
Proverbs 22:10-12

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New Testament: 2 Corinthians 4:1-12

Summary: The Light of the Gospel, Treasure in Jars of Clay

But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:2-3

The graphic I made for today’s bible reading is how I see people who don’t know Jesus Christ. Some say they are Christians and some just don’t care and are oblivious to what life is all about. Some say the Bible just doesn’t make sense to them, others think it is a fairy tale, but the truth is unless you ask the Arthur of the Bible what it is all about you will never understand it, nor will you ever get to know Jesus. Oh, yes getting to know Jesus is most important as it is He who says to people who think they are Christians and those who don’t care: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ ~ Matthew 7:21-23

So please get to know Him and look forward to spending eternity with Him and the family of God.

God caused his law to be great and wonderful. However, many people still refused to believe him and they would not obey his commands. It was as if something covered their eyes. They were unable to see (understand) the message that God had given to them*.

The gospel is the message that, because of Christ’s death, God can forgive our evil deeds*. It is even more great and wonderful than God’s law*. Christ himself, God’s Son, brought that message to us; Christ himself died to save us*.

We might expect that everyone would gladly receive such a wonderful message of God’s love to us. There seems no proper reason to refuse God’s offer to forgive our evil deeds. However, very many people not merely refuse it; they actually hate the gospel.

Clearly, we cannot blame God for that. He has made his gospel so easy to understand that even a child can accept it*. Paul too was careful to explain God’s message in the simplest possible manner*.

Paul said that ‘the god of this world’ was responsible for this problem. He means the devil; the devil is the god whom most people serve in the present age. In other words, people believe the devil’s messages and they refuse to believe God’s message. So, they are acting as if the devil is their god.

They have given the devil control over their lives. The devil uses that power to hide God’s wonderful message, the gospel, from them. However, their situation is not yet hopeless. At the present time, God still urges them to turn to him*. If they do that, he will help them*. He will change their lives completely*. Then they will see, and know, how wonderful the gospel really is.

From: usefulbible.com

not walking in craftiness; they used no sly and artful methods to please men, to gain applause from them, or make merchandise of them; they did not lie in wait to deceive, watching an opportunity to work upon credulous and incautious minds; they did not, by good words and fair speeches, deceive the hearts of the simple; nor put on different forms, or make different appearances, in order to suit themselves to the different tempers and tastes of men, as did the false apostles:

not handling the word of God deceitfully. They did not corrupt it with human doctrines, or mix and blend it with philosophy, and vain deceit; they did not wrest the Scriptures to serve any carnal or worldly purpose; nor did they accommodate them to the lusts and passions of men; or conceal any part of truth, or keep back any thing which might be profitable to the churches:

~ John Gill