“Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”
(Revelation 4:11)
What makes someone truly “worthy?” In ordinary human terms, a person might be considered worthy based on achievements or character … on the merits of what they have done. The recognition of worth is often bound to performance. But all human assessments of worth fall into shadows when compared with the glory of the One who sits upon the throne.
The prophet Jeremiah declares, “There is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might” (Jer. 10:6). No being shares in God’s essential glory or worthiness. The throne of the universe is not empty, nor is it contested. It is occupied by the One who has always been and will always be the Lord Almighty.
Our text states clearly: “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power.” Why? “For thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created” (Rev. 4:11). This statement forms the doxological foundation of all worship. All creation exists because God willed it into being. Nothing came into existence apart from Him, and all things continue to exist by His upholding power. Edward Leigh rightly notes: “You [alone] deserve to be glorified and honored by the acknowledgment of your eternal power, for you have created all things out of nothing.”[1] That is a kind of worthiness not attained but possessed inherently by nature.
God, as the eternal Creator, does not gain worth; He is worthy. His nature, His being, His acts of creation, preservation, and providence all proclaim His worth. All of heaven acknowledges this. In Revelation 4, we see the elders casting their crowns before Him. The angels proclaim His majesty. And the very throne room of God is filled with unending declarations of praise from the host of heaven because He is worthy.
This praise extends not only to God the Father, but also to His Son. Revelation 5:12 declares: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.” The Lamb is Christ, the Redeemer. He is worthy not only as Creator, but as Savior. His worthiness arises from the infinite value of His person and the perfect merit of His atoning work. As God the Son, Christ shares in all divine attributes. But as the crucified and risen Savior, He is uniquely worthy to receive the praise of the redeemed.
His worth is not in name only but also in His actions. Every Scripture that calls Christ “worthy” attaches His name to the righteousness of justice, the purity of judgment, the glory of redemption, and the power of creation. John says that Christ is not only the one who created all things (John 1:3) but also the one who will judge the nations (Rev. 19:11). Paul echoes this when he writes, “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name” (Phil. 2:9). Every knee shall bow because Christ is worthy—worthy in essence, worthy in deed, and worthy in authority.
But there is more. Christ shares His worthiness with His people. Believers are called “worthy” not by native right, but by imputation. That which they could never earn has been granted to them in grace. The merit of Christ’s righteousness is reckoned to them by faith. Luke 21:36 speaks of being “counted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass,” meaning that believers are spared from divine wrath not because of themselves but because of Christ in them, the hope of glory.
The righteousness of God is given to all who trust in Christ. This truth is summarized in 2 Corinthians 5:21: “For he hath made him to be sin for us … that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” What a wonder! Christ, infinitely worthy, gives His worth to the unworthy that they might be accepted before the throne. So believers do not boast in themselves but in the cross. The Christian’s standing in grace is not grounded in his sanctification, progress, or sincerity but in the merit of a worthy Savior.
This should lead to continual worship. If the throne room of heaven is filled with unending songs declaring the worthiness of God and the Lamb, then the hearts of the redeemed ought to echo that praise.
Let every soul therefore acknowledge the distinguishing grace of God to their own hearts. Let no believer be found idle in worship, but stirred daily in the knowledge that Christ is worthy, and that He has made them accepted in the Beloved. There is no sweeter truth to fuel the fire of adoration than this: He is worthy, and He has made us worthy in Him.
Contemplations:
- The Maker Deserves Glory. Lord, as all things were made by You and for Your will, so let my life be wholly devoted to Your purpose. You spoke and the world was made. You sustain all things by the word of Your power. If the stars, the oceans, and all living creatures reflect Your glory, then I, made in Your image and redeemed by grace, must not be silent. Let every part of me exist to praise You, my Creator.
- The Honor of the Creator. You alone, Lord, are to be worshipped as the great Maker of all things; no one else deserves the glory You do. Forgive me when I give my energy and affection to things unworthy of them. I want to join the heavenly choir, not just with my lips but with my whole life, declaring, “Thou hast created all things.”
- The Incomparable God. I remember Augustine’s line: “Let any make a world and he shall be a God.” And yet none can. Only You create from nothing. That’s why the Creed begins where it does, with belief in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. If You made all, then all belongs to You, and I am not my own. I was made by You and for You.
- Let Me Join the Elders. Lord, let me worship with the elders who never stop praising You. Let my daily routine not become so noisy that I forget the throne above. You are worthy to receive glory and honor and power, and not just someday in heaven, but now, here on earth. Tune my soul to heaven’s song, that my mouth and my life may say: “Thou art worthy, O Lord.”
Prayer (Adoration):
O God Most High, I lift my voice in reverence and awe before You, for You alone are worthy to receive glory, honor, and power. Before time began, You were. From nothing, You spoke the world into being. The stars, the mountains, the seas, and every living thing proclaim Your greatness. You are the Creator and Sustainer of all, and there is none beside You.
You dwell in unapproachable light, yet You have made Yourself known to Your creatures. You govern all things with wisdom, justice, and power. You have never been dependent on any other. All existence flows from Your will. All things were made by You, and for Your pleasure they are and were created. Angels veil their faces before You. The redeemed fall before You in humble praise.
Lord Jesus Christ, I exalt You as the worthy Lamb. Worthy are You to take the scroll and to open its seals, for You were slain and by Your blood have redeemed a people for God. You are the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Ruler and Judge of all the earth. Your worth is without measure. Your name is exalted above every name. You bore our sins, triumphed over death, and ascended in glory to reign forever. Your work is perfect, and all that You do is good.
Spirit of God, You lead the redeemed to declare the worthiness of the Triune God. You illumine the Word, convict the heart, and stir the affections to worship. Without You, none would see the beauty of Christ. Without You, none would cry “Abba, Father.” But by Your grace, hearts are opened, lives are transformed, and praise ascends to the throne.
O Lord, I adore You not only for what You have done, but for who You are. Holy, righteous, omnipotent, gracious, and true. You are from everlasting to everlasting. I am dust, and yet You have set Your love upon me. I am unworthy in myself, but You have made me accepted in Christ. Let this truth stir in me a daily song of worship. Let every breath be praise. Let every act be done unto Your glory.
Let me never grow cold to Your glory. Let me never take lightly the wonder of who You are. Stir me again and again to behold Your majesty and to love You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. Let every beat of my heart resound with this confession: “Thou art worthy, O Lord.”
In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Further Scripture References for Revelation 4:11:
Rev. 5:12; Genesis 1:1; Psalm 33:9; Ephesians 3:9.
[1] Edward Leigh quoted by Thomas Wilson, A Complete Christian Dictionary (London: E. Cotes and are to be sold by Thomas Williams, 1661), 743.
