This is the opening phrase to the beatitudes that Jesus leads with in His Sermon on the Mount. Each of the blessed are those who are the disadvantaged in some way. The blessed are not those who are perceived as the strong and socially seen as having arrived. The blessed are the poor, the mourning, the meek, the hungry, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and the persecuted for righteousness.

“⁸Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” – Matthew 5:8 (ESV)

In my study of the word “heart” this is the verse that I was led to this morning. He I see the middle of the beatitudes and cast this one over all the others. I am not saying that this is the most important of the beatitudes, I am only saying that when it comes to the LORD, it is about what is in the heart that matters to Him and that is what should be driving the actions of His children. The LORD looks to the heart and, as you can see in the verse above, those “pure in heart…shall see God”. The blessed are those who are in need and who seek God. Whether poor or mourning or hungry or peacemaker, those who are seeking the LORD with their heart are those who are blessed.

Remembering all that glitters is not really gold. What is received in this world may look to be blessings, but we have to remember that the evil one deals in deception and will distort things. And being blessed is not what the world would consider. Look at the blessings bestowed on those who will be blessed, the kingdom of heaven, be comforted, inherit the earth, be satisfied, receive mercy, see God, and be called sons of God. Where the world would likely ask, what good is all that, the children of God see these as ultimate blessings.

For me I look daily at my heart. Where is my heart in relation to where I am and where I am going. I gave an impromptu “speech” at the engagement party of my son recently and where the focus was on their life together that is to come, it was about where we or they are when it comes to the heart that they and everyone else should look to that will mean the most as they travel the path together. I and the rest of society should not be concerned with what they have monetarily that would indicate their blessings, but that which is in there heart for the LORD and each other is what matters.

Blessed are those who have a heart for the LORD.

What is it that you have a heart for? Are you driven by the accumulation of things that you consider blessings? What if you focused on your heart for God and the blessings that come from that focus?