Worthy are you, our Lord and God.

Revelation 4:9-11, And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

We have all kinds of ways of determining whether someone or something is worthy, and often that becomes the basis for love and veneration. God is worthy simply because he was and is and is to come, and those before his amazing throne recognize this because we are all part of his creation. In praising him, we recognize his eternity and his power and glory known to us by his creation. And even more wonderfully, he has redeemed us and set us free and made us more than conquerors in Christ Jesus! One commentator notes that these crowns are “not kingly diadems, but the crowns of conquerors.” “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.” Have we offered up a sacrifice of praise today?

We stand in awe of you and the majesty of your creation, fallen though it is; we are even more in awe that you would offer yourself as perfect sacrifice to make us more than conquerors in triumphal procession with your banner of grace, mercy and love over us!

ESV Lectionary