Revelation 4:11 - God's Glory as Creator

Revelation 4:11

“Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

Message: God's Glory as Creator

Time: John mentions himself 4 times as author. It was written around the year 95 on John's exile to the island of Patmos after preaching the gospel to Asia. Revelation comes from the Greek word for apocalypse and refers to an unveiling. The book is about the tribulation period with symbolic language, giving us the end of the story -- Jesus will once and for all heal the wounds of sin, reign for a thousand years on earth, then re-create the world into a place that represents God's original design.

What the Lord is Saying: In the study of God's glory, I now move to a study from a "human angle" or the human response to divine glory. For instance, Joshua 7:19 records, "Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, I implore you, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and give praise to Him; and tell me now what you have done. Do not hide it from me.” 

To give glory to God is to treat Him in the way that He deserves. I still think I am too selfish often in the way I treat God. I use God's name for my benefit. And I am discovering more and more that God is to be praised, no matter what is going on in my life. But in giving glory to God we are not adding to His glory. He is sufficient and has all that He needs. But in giving glory, we are acknowledging that He is all. 

Today's passage in Revelation 4:11 mentions, "Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power." And there is a reason today for Him to receive glory and honor and power. It is because, "You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created." I am to give God glory because He created all things. He is creator. Everything exists because of His will. Everything is created because of His will. When I see creation, I should automatically go to praise God, giving Him glory and honor for that which He has created. 

Hebrews 11:3 - By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

I recently made a visit to the islands of Hawaii, specifically Kauai and took a helicopter ride and being up there in the air and seeing the land below, the green land, the mountains and their formation and all the beautiful colors, it was exhilarating. I beheld the beauty of God and His creation like never before. It was like I was seeing it for the first time, and granted, this place I was seeing it for the first time. And unfortunately I too quickly started wondering how it was formed. I wondered about this age of earth discussion and how it had arrived. But I need to squash that thinking and simply be amazed at what God has created. I can simply view God's creation and be amazed by it and thank Him for it, giving Him the glory and honor He deserves. It doesn't have to be about me. It can be only about Him. 

Summary: God possesses great Glory as the creator of all things. He is worthy to receive glory from us. 

Promise: Nothing would exist if God had not created the universe, so we should regularly give the Lord glory for His creation, for making us and for making everything that we enjoy. 

Prayer: Lord, you are the creator. You made it all and simply because of that I praise and honor You. I give you the glory. Everything I see in my life is authored by You. You did not make it beautiful, but You created it and it is beautiful. We plant and we place trees and grass where we like it but you are the source of this creation. We do the same with humans, but You are the one that made us and formed us and designed us. We cannot exist apart from You. We live in this culture trying to often redefine based upon what they think is best, and yet it all begins with You. Even in this gender confusion world, people want to be something you created. There is male and there is female because of You. May we go to You to define our world and our life.