Close your eyes and pretend that your fairy godmother has just appeared before you with her magic wand.
   "Open your eyes, dearie," she says, "I'm here to change one thing and one thing only. Think fast because you've only got ten seconds."
What would your answer be? Would you wish for money or a new car? A trip to Brazil? Are you overweight? Would you wish away ten or twenty pounds? Are you shorter than you would like to be? Would you wish to be 6 foot tall instead of the 5'5"" you are right now?
   We earthlings tend to want to change the things that other mortals see, but there is something much more important. But the LORD said to Samuel, "The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the
heart." ( 1 Samuel 16:6-8 )
   Instead of wishing away pounds or wrinkles (my personal wish) we should be wishing for a pure heart.

Heart Problems?
   If you suspect your ticker isn't working right, you wouldn't go to a foot doctor, you would want a cardiologist. If you suspect your heart isn't pure, go to the best "heart doctor" around...God. You can find his description of a pure heart in the Bible.

Here are just a few of the characteristics you will find there.

A Pure Heart loves God.
   This is the first and greatest commandment. Without this it is impossible to have a heart that is pure.
   "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." Matthew 22:36-38

A Pure Heart knows that earthly possessions are not "true treasures."
(Only that which is Eternal will last.)
   Remind yourself of your priorities daily. If we aren't careful we get caught up in the rat race of life and end being nothing more than a rat. When God is the captain of the ship we are on we know that the real treasure is Heaven, and that no matter how many storms assail us, we will never sink as long as He is with us.
   "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:20-22

A Pure Heart thinks on pure things and speaks only words that are pure. (Don't open that can of worms!)
   Have you ever been at a ball game and heard someone you thought was a Christian "trash talk" the referees? Purity means pure at all times...not just in church.
   "But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man `unclean.' Matthew 15:17-19
   "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:44-46

A Pure Heart is a confident heart.
(If God is for me, who can be against me.)
   God is the creator of the universe and Jesus wants us to remember to trust Him and His Father. If we live according to the Bible then we don't have to worry about tomorrow or life after death. It's already bought and paid for. Like the hymn says, "It is the debt He did not owe, and the debt we could not pay."
   "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me." John 14:1-2
   "For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." Romans 10:9-11

A Pure Heart is a giving heart.
J - Jesus - First
O - Others - Second
Y - You - Third
(The Joy that comes from the Fruits of His Spirit.)
   A pure heart isn't a stingy heart. Christians are to give of their time, talents, and finances to help others and to do it cheerfully.
   "Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."
2 Corinthians 9:6-8

A Pure Heart doesn't worry about what men think.
(John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.)
   Just as we shouldn't worry about what other people think about our earthly appearance, we shouldn't worry about those who criticize us. We are to please God, not men.
   "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." Colossians 3:22-24
   "On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts." 1 Thessalonians 2:3-5

A Pure Heart is a loving heart.
(Heb. 13:1 Keep on loving each other as brothers.)
   If you read the Bible and don't comprehend the power of God's love and the love of Jesus, you've missed the whole point. Love is the basis for all that is good and it is because of love that we can be saved. No matter what the question is, love is the answer.
   "The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith." 1 Timothy 1:4-6
   "Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart." 1 Peter 1:21-23

A Pure Heart can handle chastisement.
(Prov. 10:17 He who heeds discipline shows the way to life,
but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.)
   We can't always have everything our way. God knows what's best for us and what we see as failure or loss, may harbor hidden blessings if we put our trust in Him.
   "And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you." Hebrews 12:4-6

A Pure Heart is filled with gratitude.
(Col. 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.)
   One day I picked my twin boys up at school. They were attending a private Christian school at that time and they must have just came from music class because all the way home they sang "My cup is full and running over!" As I glanced in the rear view mirror at their two identical faces and listened to their singing my heart literally ached with love for them and I gave thanks to God for the blessing they are in my life.
   Our hearts should ache with gratitude for what God has done for us and we should sing his praises as loudly as my twins sang...until our cups run over!
   "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God." 3 Colossians 3:15-17

If your heart isn't pure...it can be.
(Rom. 8:29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed
to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.)
   If you have a flat tire, you pull over to the side of the road and change it. For reasons they don't understand, I make my ten year old twins change their socks and underwear daily. Yet when it comes to changing our hearts some of us throw up our hands and say "I can't change how I feel!"
   Yes you can and you don't need a fairy godmother with a wand to do it.
   Maya Angelou, a famous writer once said, "If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude. Don't complain."
   If your heart isn't pure don't complain, God can change it if you will let Him. Read your Bible, follow His commandments, and pray the same prayer that David, a man after God's own heart, prayed. "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." Psalm 51:10
   The path to a pure heart comes from reading your Bible, prayer, and obedience. It isn't always an easy path to follow, but at the end of the road lies the ultimate reward...
   "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." Matthew 5:7-9

                              ******

   This time of year, we think about how much we love our family, friends, and significant other, but how much thought do we give to God's unending (and unconditional) love?
   God gave us the ultimate Valentine. He gave us His Son! How awesome is that? Would you be willing to give your child over to a world, knowing that they were going to kill him? I know I couldn't. God gave us His Son willingly and with LOVE. He did it FOR us. Without the blood of Christ Jesus, not a single one of us could ever possibly hope to enter the gates of Heaven and worship at the Father's feet. We could never earn our way into Heaven. It is through God's grace and mercy that we are made righteous. God love all of His children, but unless we return His love, we are unable to feel his loving embrace.
   I wish you all a wonderful and love filled Valentine's Day. Remember, God's love endures forever. He is always with you and will always love you.
   God Bless you and keep you!
                              Just a thought!
                              Danielle ( nelliegirl100 )

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