As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him. (Ps. 18:30)
In the Isenheim Altarpiece, Matthias Grünewald depicts John the Baptist standing to the side of the crucified Jesus. With an outstretched arm, John the Baptist points toward Jesus, echoing his exclamation in the gospel of John, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John the Baptist proclaims later in the gospel, “He must become greater; I must become less.” With these phrases, John the Baptist clearly captures who Jesus is and what place he must occupy in our lives. He is the worthy Lamb, worthy of our sacrifice and praise.
The psalms are beautiful proclamations of the worth and beauty of God. They praise God for who he is, and they also praise him for what he has done and will do for his people. God alone is worthy of our praise because he is God. He is also worthy because of what he does for us, his people. In the passage for today, he is a shield for those who need refuge. He is the rock on which we find sure footing. His strong arms keep us safe and secure. He sustains us and prepares the way before us.
May we play the role of John the Baptist today and simply point all the attention and praise to God, who is worthy.
Praise the Lord, our rock and refuge.
Mark Moore is the spiritual formation pastor at Faith Legacy Church in Sacramento, California, and an auxiliary professor of theology at William Jessup University.
© 2019 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission.
Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
