ABIDE WITH ME... LET ME SEE YOU, GOD...

MEDITATION MONDAY
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“Blessed are the pure in heart:
for they shall see God”
Matthew 5:8

This weekend I had a remarkable view of God through a variety of avenues that included: life, death, sickness, health, music, noise, silence, youth, motherhood, service, sorrow, celebration, and worship. I was able to recognize that I was in the presence of something very extraordinary.... I perceived LOVE.

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HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO OUR BE-ATTITUDE FOR THE MONTH OF MAY? Let's take a look:

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WHAT ABOUT "PURE in heart"?

1. The word "pure" is used 27 times in the New Testament.

2. It is "katharos" in Greek.

3. It means clean or free from contamination.

4. Matthew 27:59 refers to the clean (katharos) cloth that Jesus' body was wrapped in after He was taken off the cross.

5. Matthew 11:5 says, "The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed (katharos), the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor." This is used multiple times in Matthew, Mark, and Luke to refer to the cleansing/purification of lepers.

6. Luke 5:13 is another of those scriptures that I love ... "Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” He said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him."

7. Spiritually speaking, we can look at purity to describe the spiritual heart/mind as free from contamination... In Jesus' words, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." John 8:34-36

8. In the highest sense, a heart desiring God, as Jesus shares in Mark 12:29-31:

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this:

‘Hear, O Israel:

The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

Love the Lord your God

with all your heart

and with all your soul

and with all your mind

and with all your strength.’

The second is this:

‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'

There is no commandment greater than these.”

WHAT ABOUT "SEE GOD"?

1. It's used 449 times in the New Testament.

2. It's "horao" in Greek.

3. It can mean to physically/literally have a clear viewing of something or to look at something clearly OR it can mean figuratively to perceive, recognize, or experience.

4. On earth, we have the opportunity to see (look straight at) creation as well as the opportunity to see (recognize) the master Creator God through all the wonders of His creation. I think Elizabeth Barrett Browning understood it when she said, "Earth's crammed with heaven and every common bush afire with God. And only he who sees takes off his shoes, the rest sit round and pluck blackberries."

5. Then, there's Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus in John 3: “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”

6. Finally, there's the “see” that means to experience something. John 3:36, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life...."

This weekend, I saw LIFE!

This weekend, I saw LOVE!

This weekend, I saw GOD!

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-BLESSED~

(More connections to this post to come throughout the week!)