From a Pure Heart

​The day Arthur was born his father left his mother for another woman.  So, along with his siblings, the young boy was raised by his resilient mom.  And then she became very ill. Calling her son to her side, she began to share final instructions as she was dying.  The devastated young man cried out, “Mama don’t die, you can’tdie.”  And even though he was not a Christian, knowing that there must be a God, he prayed and asked the Lord to save her because they were too young to be without a mother.  Graciously God immediately healed her and extended her life for many more years.  

In 1991 Arthur became a follower of Jesus.  He would rely heavily on his faith for during a period of eighteen months he lost seven family members (including his mother), to HIV.   While he attended college, a young girl walked into his room attempting to seduce him. But Arthur knew that it would be wrong to give in to her and so unlike most of his classmates, he resisted her advances.  Later he found out that she had HIV and she also died.  
Arthur shared with me that in those days in Uganda, if ten young adults went to college—four would survive the rest would die from HIV because the culture was so promiscuous.   Today, Arthur serves as the Associate Pastor in a church of over 10,0000 people.  His life is a shining light in the city of Kampala because he determined to live a pure life.
 
Meditation
2 Timothy 2:22—Flee from youthful passions, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.  
 
In the passage above note that the Apostle Paul gives Timothy a great clue on how to succeed in holy living.  Align with those who pray from the position of a pure heart!  Those who can approach God from an uncontaminated position are the kind of people we want to associate with and the kind of people we should want to be!      
I’m sure when God answered the prayer of a young Arthur He saw inside his heart.  Do you know people that just being in their presence makes you feel better?  Arthur is such a person.  He radiates confidence.  His face is that of a man bent on doing what is right.  He is a man to be aligned with for right living.

Our First Cause team was able to experience amazing ministry in Uganda because of Arthur’s administrative support in setting up our trip.  Later as we got to know him better it was apparent that when he calls upon the Lord he calls from a place of righteousness.   Bill Perkins wrote inthe Jesus experiment “I believe we take up our crosses when we die to selfish desires and embrace God’s pure desires.  We take up our crosses when we enter a place of solitude and prayer and pour out our hearts to God.”  Flee! Pursue!  Walk with those calling from a pure heart!
 
©2014 Daniel York  ARR. Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals go to www.firstcause.org and click on the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box.  Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.      
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)