Be Pure In Heart
Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. They have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from common human burdens; they are not plagued by human ills. Psalm 73:1-5
What does the Bible say about having a pure heart? On what does the Bible tell us to focus? Psalm 73 begins, “Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.” Israel was the nation of God’s chosen people. Israel could certainly testify to God’s goodness. He rescued them from Egypt, He taught them His ways, He gave them possession of the land He had promised to them, and He helped them conquer their enemies. But the psalmist goes further than to just say God is good to the people of Israel, he says, “to those who are pure in heart.” What does it mean to be pure in heart? The word used here for pure, can be translated from the Hebrew to also mean clean. It is rare, and only used in the poetic books of the Bible (Key Word Study Bible ESV, 2013, Nos. 1249).
In Matthew 5:8, Jesus said, “‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.’” This is an unspoiled, clear heart before the Lord. When we allow impure thoughts and feelings to creep into our hearts and take our eyes off of the truth of God’s word, we can begin to slip and stumble and let our hearts be deceived by the world. Verses 2-3 say, “But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.” When we take our eyes off of the Lord and instead focus on things that cloud our vision, like the flourishing of the wicked, we become distracted and thoughts like envy can take root in our minds. Our focus is shifted from pursuing the things of God to discontentment and confusion. The psalmist shows where his mind wondered as he gazed at the prosperity of the wicked: “they have no struggles; their bodies are healthy and strong. They are free from the burdens common to man; they are not plagued by human ills.” Have you ever looked at someone you know who lives by worldly standards and doesn’t fear the Lord, but they seem so prosperous and seem to have it all together? Their life appears to be one giant blessing after another. What is often our response to seeing their flourishing life? We become envious. If we focus on these thoughts that bring strife and envy to our soul, we can begin to waver in our faith and in the pursuit of the pure things of God. Proverbs 23:17 tell us, “Do not let your heart envy sinners, but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD.” When we are zealous for the fear of the Lord, we pursue Him. Philippians 4:8 calls us to think about “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” The things of this world are constantly seeking to draw our attention, but when our hearts and minds are focused on the things of God, we will not be distracted. Keeping our focus on the Lord will keep our feet from slipping.
-Jennifer
