To The Pure - Daily Devotional April 22nd, 2010

Bible Reading - Leviticus 26, Psalm 33, Ecclesiastes 9, Titus 1

The The Pure

Back when I was in high school a movie called "Colors" came out. I never actually saw the movie back then but all my friends did and they had the sound track as well. I would listen to the sound track with them and I though it seemed pretty innocent so I picked it up one day as I was shopping with my mom. I put it into the tape player (this was before Cd's and Ipods but after 8 tracks thank God) and started listening to the first song with my mom. As It played one of the songs had a curse word and the minute I heard it my face turned white and I quickly turned it off. My mom looked at me and said, "what is the matter, what are you doing"? I was apologizing profusely and telling her I did not know that that word was in the song. Her reply to me was, "what word are you talking about"?

This was just one of many times that I had been with my mom and heard a curse word or saw something that was not good, but for whatever reason she did not. It was like there was a blind fold over her eyes or a cover over her ears. It almost seemed like she was immune to the gross impurities that were around her. The Bible says in Titus 1:15, "To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled". My mom is one of the most innocent pure people I know and every time I hear this verse she is the first person I think of. She is so pure it is as if all the impurities in the world cannot break through her pure bubble. I have always loved this about my mom and have longed to be just like this. She always thinks the best of people, hopes the best for people and somehow always sees the good and pure in people, because to the pure all things are pure.

According to this verse it is in our defiled state or ways that we are actually more alert to things that are defiled and not good for us. It actually seems like this verse suggests we actually attract or are attracted to that which we are. If we are pure we notice the pure and if we are defiled than we notice the defiled things of the world. Whatever we are focused on that is what we notice and give priority to. For example I remember When I bought my second car. It was 1 1990 Toyota Supra (Oh Yeah Baby). I saw it on a lot and thought it was amazing, I had never seen a car like this before. It was so unique that I had to buy it and so I did, I mean this car was one of a kind. After signing all the papers I had a short drive home and in that short drive I must of saw at least 8 cars that were identical to mine. I was a bit disappointed and thought maybe they were having a sale on them somewhere. It turns out that my car was not all that unique but now that I was awaken to this car and I was focused on it I started noticing them all over the place. This same principle is true in reference to Titus 1:15. If we are pure and focused on purity than that is what we will see but if we are defiled then we will see defiled things.

I realized that getting to the place my mom is at to where she sees all things as pure does not just happen on it's own. It is something we must be intentional about and give ourselves to it.
Philippians 4:8 says, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things". Here we are encouraged to think about the things that are pure so that we become pure and then see that which is pure. Now this does not mean we do not notice when bad things are happening or when impurities are taking place, it just means that we can see past it and see the good in people so that we can in turn rescue them from the impurities.

Today my desire is to be more pure in every area of my life and I will know when this is taking place because more things will become pure to me.

Tomorrows Bible Reading - Leviticus 27, Psalm 34, Ecclesiastes 10, Titus 2

Dream Big
Ben