Draw Our Life From His Smile

God formed us for Himself. The shorter catechism, ‘Agreed upon by the Reverend Assembly of Divines at Westminster,’ as the old New England Primer has it, asks the ancient questions what and why and answers them in one short sentence hardly matched in any uninspired work. ‘Question: What is the chief End of Man? Answer: Man’s chief End is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.’ With this agree the four and twenty elders who fall on their faces to worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, saying, ‘Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.’ (Rev 4:11)

God formed us for His pleasure, and so formed us that we as well as He can in divine communion enjoy the sweet and mysterious mingling of kindred personalities. He meant us to see Him and live with Him and draw our life from His smile. But we have been guilty of that ‘foul revolt’ of which Milton speaks when describing the rebellion of Satan and his hosts. We have broken with God. We have ceased to obey Him or love Him and in guilt and fear have tied as far as possible from His Presence.

(A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God, p. 22)