Gloria in Excelsis Deo

The chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever.* Psalm 100 confirms the Genesis account that it is God who made us, and not we who made ourselves (or a series of random mutations). Psalm 24:1 tells us that everything on the earth belongs to God, including all the people who live on it. Isaiah 43:7 further informs us that it for God’s glory that we were created. We were created to glorify God. Perhaps one of the easiest sins to fall into is that of ingratitude. We come to feel entitled to what we receive and what we have. A small boy and his mother were in the market when the grocer give the boy an orange. “What do you say to the nice man,” urged the boy’s mother. The boy looked at the orange as he thought for a moment. Holding it up to the grocer, the boy said, “Peel it.” In like fashion we receive blessings from God, then in our arrogance demand of God, “Give me something better!” In Luke 17:11-19, ten lepers cry out to Jesus for healing. Go and show yourselves to the priests,” he tells them. As they journey to the priests they are healed of their dreadful infirmity. One of these men turns back and tracks Jesus down (who had presumably continued down the road on his journey). He praise God in a loud voice, and upon finding Jesus “he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks.” Have you given Jesus appropriate thanks for all He has done for you? * John Piper’s modification of the 1st question and answer in the Westminster Catechism. ** The graphic image (sans the text) was drawn by some guy named Mike. I yanked it from his blog The Daily Sketch. I did ask for permission to use the image, but have yet to hear from him. If he decides he doesn’t want me to use it, I’ll change the image. In the mean time, take a gander at his sketches. They’re rather good.