Seeing God

You can read in Scripture, “Blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God.” Your eyes can see the words on the page, of course, but what does seeing have to do with the heart?

There are different ways to see. Though you can read words on a page this does not necessarily mean that you “absorb” the words or, “take them to heart.” If you’ve ever read an apology letter from someone who has done you great harm you are faced with a decision to either accept the apology or reject the apology. There is a person behind the words on the page who, obviously if they’ve taken the time to apologize, desires to heal/repair the rift between you. You could say they are expressing their “heart” to you. They intend to make things good, or at very least better than they were before they wrote the letter. So what do you do? You might say to yourself, “It depends on the situation.” Does it really depend on the situation? Or perhaps it depends on the purity of your heart?

A child of God is called to forgive without limit. Jesus said to forgive, “Seventy seven times” or “Seventy times seven.” This was common vernacular that means, basically, “Forgive as many times as a person does some kind of wrong to you” There is a way we aren’t able to fully see if our heart is tainted with grudges or a record of the wrongs of others. If we place God continually in our “line of sight” and remember how much we have been forgiven (which requires that we seek forgiveness from God) we will be better able to let the pain melt away.

The Saints are people who could see God. But why them and not us? It’s really our choice isn’t it? It is a Law of Spiritual reality that those who seek God will find Him. If you’re not looking for Him you won’t see Him. Beyond that, if you are looking for a mere object that you have lost you can’t simply look where you want to look and expect to find it. Likewise, your desire to see the view from the mountaintop requires a certain amount of walking, working and striving. It is true that God is present during every step you take, however, your ability to see Him clearly (and know and love Him more fully) depends on your decision to seek “the top” and not merely settle for the trail-head. Sure, there’s a map at many trail-heads pointing the way to the top of mountains…but maps aren’t mountains. If we walk in the manner we have all been called to walk and continue to look where God has called us to look and continually ask for His assistance…we’ll most certainly get there and behold, with our own eyes, the glory of God.

I want to see God more fully because I have seen a mere glimpse. This glimpse has given me a greater desire to see all the more and grow up and not merely choose the ways that I most prefer~ but surely the ways I know God prefers. As with Jesus Christ, this leads to a cross but it is through the cross (our death) we will experience resurrection. The cross, our death, is beautiful. It is our highest good to say, like Jesus, “Father, not as I will, but may Your will be done.” No ocean, lake, river or mountain view of this world can compare to the face of God. Wonderful things are coming~ more than wonderful.