Made to Enjoy God

The purpose of being made simply to enjoy God is not a purpose of doing but a purpose of being.

Made to Enjoy God

This week's devotions are written by my friend Jessica Hermann, former director of our college ministry at Great Hills Baptist Church.

- Pastor Danny

Do you remember the "Does it spark joy?" trend? A few years ago, a professional organizer named Marie Kondo took the world by storm with her catchy question that was used as a criteria for whether or not you should keep something that is in your home. "Does it spark joy?" If the answer was no, that item was thrown out or donated, leaving you only with things that brought you joy and doing away with the extras. While it made for a lot of good memes and jokes and probably helped people declutter their homes, true and lasting joy isn't found in items inside a cupboard or on a shelf; it is found in the Lord. Yesterday we looked at the first part of the Westminster Catechism's answer to the question, "What is the chief end of man?" in order to answer our question, "Why did God create us?" Today we will look at the second part of the catechism's answer. As a reminder, the Westminster Catechism says,

Q. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.

Many conversations around the topic of our purpose might have to do with doing; we are created to do this or do that. But the purpose of being made simply to enjoy God is not a purpose of doing but a purpose of being. We can and ought to enjoy God, Who He is, as well as the good gifts He gives.

So what does it look like for us to enjoy God? Consider this verse:

"You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." (Psalm 16:11)

We enjoy God by rejoicing in His presence. What an amazing gift that we do not serve a God who is distant or created us just to say, "Good luck!" and leave us on our own. He is near, and He invites us into His presence through His Son Jesus. Why is the presence of the Lord something to rejoice in? Because He is goodness, He is love, He is grace, and He is our refuge. What better of a place could there be?

We also enjoy God by delighting in His Word. Jeremiah says, "words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart" (Jeremiah 15:16). The Word of God is a precious gift to us from our Creator. He has poured out His love to us through His creation, through His Son, and also through His Word, revealing to us who He is on every page. May we cherish it and hang on its every word.

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice." (Philippians 4:4)

May understanding who our great God is do more than spark joy within you today but set your heart ablaze with love, gratitude, admiration, and worship.

Consider these questions today:

Does your time with the Lord feel more like a task to check off or are you rejoicing in His presence?
How can you reorient your time with God to enjoy Him more?