Blessed are the Pure in Heart, for they shall see God – Matthew 5:8

During the month of January, God really cleaned me up.  He has restored so much in my heart that I didn’t even realize was gone until it returned.  My love for reading His Word, the “downloading” in my mind of these wonderful messages, my zeal to tell others, my desire to truly live for Him, and just a pure love of listening to songs about Him.  These are just the tip of the iceberg.  It is like I was fully charged, but let my battery drain to about 10%.  I plugged back into God and He is keeping me charged.

Starting the beginning of this month, I went to trucking school.  If you know anyone who wants to drive trucks, run heavy equipment, or be a lineman for the power companies, Tri-County Tech will absolutely pay for you to complete the program free of charge.  I don’t know about the other two programs, but if you want to drive trucks, here is the catch . . . you better be drug free.  Also, you better have a clean driving record.  The reason truckers are needed all the time is that companies will not pay the high liability insurance once a drug test is failed, or too many points are added to a license because of reckless driving.  

Put it this way:  If you want to reap the rewards of trucking, you’ve got to stay clean.  You’ve got to stay pure.  Sounds like the trucker version of Matthew 5:8.

Here is the crazy thing:  I heard someone say that even though they were not clean, they knew how to pass the drug test.  Several have tried to convince our instructor to break rules and take short cuts in teaching us.  I think most of us want to learn and do it right, but there are still those who think they are going to be able to do wrong but still get credit and reap the rewards of doing right.  

I’m not judging at all . . . last year, I know now that my spiritual life was on autopilot.  I wasn’t doing the things that maintain a pure heart.  Right now, the Spirit of God is my sustainer.  I’m teaching and driving busses from 6:30 – 3:30 and then riding to trucking school from 5:30-10:30. It is a lot, but the joy of the Lord is my strength.  The long drive allows me to praise and to listen to Godly men preach the word.  

Just as those who try to cut corners when they become truckers won’t reap the rewards . . . those who call themselves Christians and cut corners will not reap the full benefits of knowing Christ.

Let’s you and I ask us these questions today:  Am I really living for Jesus?  Is He really first in my life?  Or am I really just a corner cutter hoping that it all works out in the end?

Lord, I’m just amazed at how You work!  I picture the dirtiest glass that had anything and everything in it but pure water.  The water of the faucet of the Word begins to flow into it and clean it little by little.  It doesn’t take long before the inside is so clean and so pure.  Oh, the blood of Jesus . . . it washes white as snow.  Bless me indeed, increase my territory, that Thy hand would be with me, and that You would keep evil from me.  Help me keep and maintain this joy that You have so freely given.  There is and never will be another like You!  Amen.