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“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” Revelation 5:12

I am sitting here today in Houston, Texas and outside my window the temperature is eighteen degrees.  Anyone who knows anything about Houston knows that the words ‘eighteen degrees’ and ‘Houston’ do not belong in the same sentence!

What about the word worthy?  Does that word belong in the same sentence with your name (or mine)?

In Matthew 10:37-39 Jesus sets a pretty high standard for worthiness: “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”

If I honestly assess my own efforts to be worthy in God’s eyes, I recognize that I fail miserably every single day.   Fortunately, God took care of this problem when he sent Jesus to make me (and you) worthy to be in God’s presence.  The apostle Paul explains:

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.  All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:1-9).

• Do you find yourself trying to earn your worthiness? How is that different than living a life worthy of the grace you have been given?  Paul writes frequently about this topic, so for additional insight read Ephesians 4:1, Philippians 1:27 and Colossians 1:9-11.
• Take some time to reflect on the wonder and beauty of the words in Revelation 5:12.
• Express your gratitude to your Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer for the gift of your worthiness. How will you make gratitude part of your journey to the Cross during the upcoming Lenten season?

This Lent, let’s celebrate the worthiness of our Savior and the eternal gift of  worthiness that he bought for you and me on that cross.  Amen!