Keep the Water Clean
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8)
A lonely village in the valley was watered by one, solitary stream from the mountain. The aldermen hired Jim to clean the stream of sticks and debris; however, they found his tasks unimportant and unworthy of a salary. Within a matter of days, the pure stream became cloudy, the fresh water brown, and the villagers sick. Needless to say, Jim was rehired rather quickly.
Now, if you think keeping a stream pure is hard work, try keeping the heart pure. To paraphrase the late Anglican J.C. Ryle, “The heart is the principal part of religion.” On both sides of the Flood, God was angry that the “very intention of the thoughts of their heart was only evil continually.” Job’s greatest fear for his children was that they “sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Jesus warned of the evils which defile a man which flowed from the heart. A little filth makes a big mess in the heart. Therefore, Solomon says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flows the springs of life” (Prov. 4:23).
We flitter and flutter about concerning external issues – the color of the trim, the size of our waistline, the leaves in the gutter; but how little do we keep the heart? These other things come easy, but keeping the heart is like herding cats. Our heart never obeys good sense, and mischief lurks behind every corner. The heart is deceitful above all things, deeper than the deepest of waters. Who can know it? Keeping the heart free of “evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness” is a full-time job because the heart is the principal part of religion.
To keep the heart pure is not for the faint of spirit but for those full of the Spirit. To be thankful in all circumstances, watchful in all situations, and alert at all times keeps us busy at all times. Because of the great effort, Jesus attaches an even greater blessing. For all the watching, for all the repenting, and for all the humbling, the pure in heart shall see God. What words can express such joy? What string of syllables could express such eager expectation? To be refreshed by His smile, to be engulfed by His embrace, and to love Him with an unsinning heart when we see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ makes the blessing of purity an absolute bargain.
