Day 30, Year 1 Our Hearts Determine the Experiences of God We Have 

“With the pure You will show Yourself pure; And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.” (2 Samuel 22:27 NKJV)

Today’s verse is valuable. It explains why some people find it very hard to believe in Jesus’ goodness. Simply put, a person’s experience of God is heavily influenced by the state of his or her heart and mind. Those with pure hearts would perceive God as pure, while those with devious hearts would perceive God as “shrewd.” In reality, God is not shrewd; it is just that wickedness or crookedness per se prevents sinners from perceiving His goodness.

“Pure” in today’s verse, barar in Hebrew, means “cleanse, purify, purge, polish, make bright, select.” When our hearts and minds are clean, God will treat us with His purity. In fact, human hearts are for the connection with God. Inner purity and integrity enable us to see God clearly, underscoring the importance of purity in the heart. If the heart and mind of a person do not resonate with God, positively experiencing Him becomes difficult. Those who are pure could readily perceive the purity of God, thus able to perceive Him as good and beautiful. 

The term “devious” in Hebrew, ‘iqqesh, means “twisted, perverse, crooked, distorted,” it also includes the idea of a person being “twisted inside.” This refers to those who often distort the truth and are dishonest to pursue benefits. They tend to distort the honesty and uprightness that God originally created as well. This crookedness or purity could also be generationally inherited. God shows Himself as “shrewd” to crooked people. The term “shrewd” in today’s verse, pathal in Hebrew, also means “cunning, crafty.” Hence, though the Bible clearly declares the love of God for humanity, many people not only do not experience His love, but often feel that He is “deceptive,” dishonest, or even hostile to them.

Today’s verse does not support the idea that human needs or projections could shape the true God, for He exists regardless of any human opinions. He remains pure whether or not humans are pure. This verse highlights that the state of a person’s heart and mind greatly affects how he or she experiences God. This raises a question: Could crooked-hearted people experience the purity and goodness of God? It could hardly be the case unless they humbly surrender all their crookedness to God and seek His help to becoming upright and be purified. Only then could they ever experience God’s purity and goodness.

Reflection questions:

1) Do you think that it is reasonable for God to reveal His purity based on the state of a person’s heart and mind? Why?

2) Does the state of your heart and mind allow you to experience God’s purity and goodness? Why?