Romans 11:36
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.
Reflection: First Catechism, Part 2
Written By: Pastor Jesse Caro
I think we have lost (or perhaps we never had) the deep sense in which God is perfectly perfect in every conceivable way. God is “otherly.” This word I came across in the early 2000’s when reading a booklet by singer/songwriter Matt Redman entitled Facedown. I love it. Otherly. God is completely different, other, than what we are. We are flawed and imperfect. God is every bit the opposite of that. He could not be improved upon in any way. He is glorious and majestic, awesome and fantastic. As such, nothing else in the universe is greater or more worthy than God himself. And he knows it. His interest is to propagate his own glory. That is not prideful on God’s part. Never! It would be of us, but not of a perfect God. It stands that his glory is in his own interest… and, as it turns out, in ours.
The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. A God who is all-glorious is someone we ought to glorify. And when we live in such a way that we recognize his value, and glorify him as such, we actually have a better life. Indeed, true joy and fulfillment comes from a life with this God. God’s interest for us glorifying him is actually, in the end, in our interest. We learn to be satisfied in God. We learn that true fulfillment is found in living life as he ordained it. This, after all, is not a tyrant God who has only his interest in mind. No… he is a God that knows of himself that in him is found eternal and everlasting joy. Conversely, a life lived with self at the center, is running at lightning speed in the exact opposite direction… into a miserable, lonely, unfulfilled, joyless life.
Prayer
Lord, thank you that in you we have everlasting joy. Help us to be satisfied in you and live in a way that glorifies your name forever.