12 Reasons God is Worthy of Worship
Characteristics of God
As we hear the news coming out of Ukraine this week, my heart feels burdened for all of those who are caught in the terror, both Christians and non-Christians. If you need a reminder this week that God is still in control, I would encourage you to go back and read through the God is Sovereign study that was the first lesson in this series. And continue to pray for the situation between Russia and Ukraine to be resolved to the glory of God.
After six long months, we finally reach the final group of characteristics of God! Even though I only list 12 characteristics of God here, every single characteristic we’ve discussed over the last six months (57 of them, plus these 12!) is a reason that God is worthy of worship.
When you picture God, what image comes to your mind? I usually see him sitting on a magnificent gold throne, surrounded by clouds and light and people singing. I don’t know how accurate my picture is, or how it compares to yours. What I do know is that whatever your picture of God is, or how accurate it is, it most likely is an image that inspires reverence and worship. Or for some, maybe that image fills your heart with fear. Either one is an appropriate response to the essence of who God is. The characteristics of God in this lesson are some of the few reasons that God is worthy of our worship, praise, and honor.
God is Glorious. The glory of God is often the first thing people notice when they encounter God. It is the visible representation of God being the one who is holy and exalted and worthy of praise.
Exodus 40:34-35 – Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.
Psalm 19:1 – The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
God is Light. The Bible is clear that God is the true source of light for both heaven and earth. Without God, we would live in darkness. He radiates light to everything around him.
Psalm 104:2 – The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent.
Revelation 22:5 – There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
God is Worthy of Praise. Of all the possible things or people that we are tempted to praise or worship, God is the only one who is actually worthy or deserving of our worship. He alone is the one who has power over everything, and he does great and awesome works.
1 Chronicles 16:25 – For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.
Revelation 5:13 – Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”
God is Great. God’s greatness is often coupled with other characteristics: God’s great love, great power, great anger, great deeds, great majesty. Whether used with other characteristics or alone, the Bible is clear that God is bigger and better and more than any other god.
Deuteronomy 10:17 – For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.
Psalm 135:5 – I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is greater than all gods.
God is Majestic. God’s majesty is often coupled with his splendor, and together they present the picture of God’s beauty and greatness compared to anything around him.
1 Chronicles 29:11 – Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all.
Psalm 8:1 – Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens.
God Performs Wonders. When God acts, the results of his actions are usually outside the scope of anything a human could perform. We look at them and “wonder” how that amazing thing could have just happened. Whatever it is, it is only possible with God.
Psalm 136:4 – To him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever.
Isaiah 29:14 – Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish.
God’s Name. This is one that I wasn’t really expecting, but the more I researched the other characteristics, the more it became clear that God’s name alone is a huge part of who God is. He acts to uphold the glory of his name. People worship the name of the Lord God. People tremble in fear when they hear God’s name. Or they take refuge in his name. Your reaction to God’s name is a hint about the type of relationship you have with him.
Psalm 20:7 – Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
Isaiah 42:8 – “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.”
God is Worthy of Honor. Because of who God is, he is worthy to receive your highest respect at all times. He is worthy to be placed higher in our lives than anything else.
1 Timothy 1:17 – Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Revelation 4:11 – “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.”
God is Exalted. Along with the word “exalted,” the Bible often talks about God being above other gods, or high above everything, or lifted up. Overall, they give the impression that if you compare God to anything or anyone else, God will come out on top by a large margin.
Psalm 97:9 – For you, Lord, are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.
Isaiah 57:15 – For this is what the high and exalted One says—he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.”
God has Splendor. God’s splendor is related to his appearance. He is magnificent and beautiful and has no flaws. Think about a king or queen decked out in the finest clothes and most beautiful jewels. Then multiply that by more than you can imagine, and add God’s radiant light, and that’s God’s splendor.
2 Chronicles 20:21 – After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the Lord and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the Lord, for his love endures forever.”
Psalm 29:2 – Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.
God is Awesome. The dictionary definition of awesome is “extremely impressive.” That seems like a pretty lame definition when compared to God’s awesomeness. Similar to God’s name, God’s awesomeness can create a reaction of great respect and admiration, or it can cause people to fear God.
Deuteronomy 7:21 – Do not be terrified by them, for the Lord your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God.
Psalm 47:2 – For the Lord Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth.
God has Beauty. Although only a few verses in the Bible directly refer to God’s beauty, the myriad of verses that describe God’s splendor and majesty and gloriousness make it clear that God’s beauty outshines all others.
Psalm 27:4 – One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.
Isaiah 33:17 – Your eyes will see the king in his beauty and view a land that stretches afar.
Conclusion
As someone who wants to grow in my relationship with God, it’s good for me to be reminded how far above me God is. Understanding the greatness and holiness and power of God helps me realize my place as someone who is completely dependent on him. I know that in this life, I won’t ever really be able to wrap my brain around the entirety of who God is. But even this small glimpse into God’s appearance and character brings me to a place of worship. I hope it does the same for you.
The verses listed here are just a small taste of what the Bible says to support these characteristics of God. If you’d like to study more about God’s worthiness over the next month, I’d encourage you to download and print the premium resource that goes along with this study. It is a “Bible Bingo” with 25 Scripture passages that provide further evidence for the characteristics of God we discussed above.
Click here to download the God is Worthy Bible bingo card: Original / Printer-friendly
Click here to see all premium resources for this series.
I’d love to hear your thoughts about God’s worthiness. Which characteristics of God most inspire you to worship him?
Pray for putin & his men who destroy Ukraine with no provocation be taken out by God's grace.
It is a very good study. I want to study it more.