VS. April 6, 2025 Devotional
April 06, 2025
MATTHEW 5:8 | 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
This beatitude makes a surprising connection between the spiritual state of our hearts, and our capacity to see, thus linking a physical capacity to the condition of our souls and psyches. This may seem odd initially, but we now know that the patterns of our thoughts and attention shape our brains. Neurons fire on pathways and patterns, impacted by habits and perceptions. What we are able to see, what we notice, is impacted by what we habitually pay attention to and by how we view what we are focusing on. After an accident we see the dangers of the road differently, for instance, and develop a heightened awareness.
When we view people as objects of our own desire, we can’t see them as whole individuals and cannot perceive God’s gracious activity in them. The pure in heart see others as divine children to be loved, protected, and honored, not exploited or used.
How do you view others?
Gracious God,
Purify my heart so I can see everything that is beautiful, good, and God-given in others.
Amen.
