They Shall See

"...for they shall see God."
8x10 watercolor, November 2012.
Image 2 of 2, please see the first image, as well!

I recently completed two images for a final project in one of my classes, Life of a Servant: Sermon on the Mount. The class was amazing and I learned so much about what it is to serve selflessly, and then two of my classmates and I put it into practice by volunteering with a hospice, visiting two elderly folks and just talking with them and loving on them... It was an amazing experience that I'm looking forward to continuing!

My final project was to investigate further the sixth beatitude: blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (Matthew 5:8). I did two illustrations as well as a blog that I've posted on my facebook page (Pure in Heart Blog).

This painting illustrates the locked gaze of a believer that finally gets to glimpse the glory of God and reflects it. To even try to draw God Himself is an incredible feat that I could in no way fully accomplish, so I chose to show a facet of His character: light. Radiant, brilliant, stunning, warm light… I’ve always thought of the light of God being totally all encompassing and overwhelming, and yet we don’t get lost or forgotten in it… The light surrounds and engulfs us, and in that place we are home.

Seeing God. This is, in my opinion, one of the greatest promises in all of Christianity because it includes the very end goal of our faith: seeing God and having unhindered communion. Right now, I am not looking directly at the face of God. Yes, I see Him reflected in the beauty of creation and in the faith of other believers around me, but I am not looking full at His glory, as I will one day.

At the end of the book of Revelation as John describes the new heavens, new earth, and the glory of the New Jerusalem, he makes one statement that has riveted me for months,

“No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.” (Revelation 22:3-4)

The greater fulfillment does come in eternity, though, when we will see the Lord completely unhindered! If we could only grasp the glory of this promise, our lives would never be the same. Everything else would pale in comparison to our ultimate goal. If we truly grasped the glory that awaits us, we would desperately pursue purity in heart.

How can we practically seek out to be pure in heart with the reward of seeing God in mind?

First, we have to recognize that we are, at our cores, impure. We have no righteousness apart from God. This is actually the very first beatitude—being poor in spirit and realizing there is nothing good in us apart from God! Only when we come to terms with this and only when we seek God to make us righteous (because we ourselves cannot) can we start to seek out purity in heart!

When we realize we can’t make ourselves better, we cling to the promises of God. In addition to the verses mentioned already, here are some more that have incredibly encouraged me: Psalm 24:3-6, Job 19:26-27, Psalm 17:15, Psalm 18:26, James 4:8, 1 John 3:2.

Take even a small step toward God for this promise, and He will rush toward you with eagerness to purify you! This beatitude is rooted in the mercy of God to answer us as we cry out, but there are also very practical ways that we can pursue purity. We guard our eyes from looking on worthless things, keep our hearts from meditating on selfish goals, and keep Jesus the focal point of all we do.

The majesty and glory of our future with God is that which will sustain me as I walk out my faith for the decades to come. I want to be one with a clear vision of my future and definitive goals. I want to see as much of God as I can in this lifetime and commit my heart to walking in singular devotion to Jesus in every thought, motive, desire and action. My gaze will be set on nothing less than Jesus and His brilliant, radiant glory!

RESPONSES: What do you think it means to be pure in heart? What are some practical ways you personally walk out this beatitude? How did the illustrations provided help you or move your heart?