THE BLESSED HEART (3)

“Take My yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in HEART, and you will find rest for your souls” – Matthew 11:29

Understanding the Heart of God is enhanced as we learn the Qualities of the BLESSED HEART of Jesus: “Take My yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in HEART, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Mt.11:29-30). Feeling blessed has become a vogue. A cursory look at social media shows how many people feel #blessed. In the digital world, saying one is blessed can even be a way of boasting while trying to sound humble; subtly boasting about being “blessed” with a good marriage, a child’s scholarship or graduation, sudden promotion or unexpected raise. As biblical and desirable as these are, the Blessed Heart surpasses feelings based on mere material circumstances.

Following are Seven Qualities of the Blessed Heart:

Contrite or Repentant Heart: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a CONTRITE HEART, O God, You will not despise” (Psa.51:17). This is depicted by the first Beatitude: “BLESSED are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt.5:3). The beatitudes are the “beautiful attitudes” that show the heart and character of the true believer in Christ (Mt.5: 1-12).

Forgiven Heart: “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit” (Psa.32:1-2). “BLESSED are those whose lawless deed are FORGIVEN, and whose sins are covered; BLESSED is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin” (Rom.4:7-8).

Forgiving Heart: “And be kind to one another, TENDERHEARTED, FORGIVING one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Eph.4:32). The forgiven heart transforms into the forgiving heart. The Lord instructs us to model our forgiveness of others on how God has forgiven us, forgiving “not seven times, but seventy seven times” (Mt.18:21-22). Having been forgiven in Christ, we’re empowered with grace to forgive others without struggle, and enjoy greater peace and well-being.

Believing Heart: “BLESSED is she who BELIEVED, for there will be a fulfilment of those things which were told her from the Lord” (Lk.1:45). “Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. BLESSED are those who have not seen and yet have BELIEVED” (Jh.20:29). “So then those who are of faith are BLESSED with BELIEVING Abraham” (Gal.3:9).

Purified Heart: “Truly God is good to Israel, to such as are PURE in HEART” (Psa.73:1). The sixth beatitude says: “BLESSED are the PURE in HEART, for they shall see God” (Mt.5:8). This speaks of the internal cleansing and washing with water by the Word of God (Eph.5:26). The purified are enlightened to “see” God rather than the passing, withering world and its fashions (1Jh.2:15-17).

Trusting Heart: “BLESSED are those who put their trust in Him” (Psa.2:12b). The heart is the seat of trust; the platform from which we can truly trust God. Scriptures affirm the crucial need for trusting hearts: “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; BLESSED is the man who trust in Him!” (Psa.34:8).  “BLESSED is the man who TRUSTS in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord” (Jer.17:7).

Meek or Humble Heart: “BLESSED are the MEEK, for they shall inherit the earth” (Mt.5:5). This third beatitude aligns with Isaiah 66:2: “But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite in spirit, and who trembles at My word.” James 4:10 says: “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” God looks at the heart; hence to humble ourselves in His sight means to manifest a humble heart, not a disguised semblance of humility. 1 Peter 3:4 describes this as “the hidden person of the HEART, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.”

Christ is being formed in us to increasingly manifest the Blessed Heart – contrite, forgiving, believing, purified, trusting, and humble.