Crowned with glory

For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor Psalm 8:5

Man is next to God in creational order crowned with glory and distinct from all other creatures. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the psalmist declared "what is man that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor" Psalm 8:4-5. He further reiterated this in Psalm 144 verse 3 "Lord, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him! In particular, psalm 8 verse 5 reveals that God's glory is for terrestrial use and this is the portion he has given to men. Also, Job acknowledged and remarked "What is man, that thou should magnify him? And that thou should set thine heart upon him? And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment? Job 7:17-18. As dear children of God, we must know that we are his replica and carriers of his divine glory here on earth. God clearly stated this through his servant the Prophet in Isaiah 43 verses 7 and 21 "Everyone who is called by name, Whom I have created for my glory, I have formed him, yes, I have made him. This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise (glory)."

The word glory has been widely defined as a full expression of a thing, a source of honor, beauty, magnificence or great fame, admiration, and respect. It has also been described as distinction bestowed by common consent. We are created for glory and indeed this is the main essence of creation and existence. It is the sincere desire and expectation of our heavenly father that we are crowned with glory while here on earth. It is also noteworthy that the purpose of God's glory is to establish divine order on earth. Hence, we are crowned with glory mainly to exercise dominion, enforce the mind of God on earth, and issue decrees on behalf of God against the activities of darkness to which they must bow. In psalm 8 verses 6-8, that is why the psalmist said "For thou madest him to have a dominion over all the works of thy hands: thou hast put all things under his feet: All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth  through the paths of the seas."

However, glory has three phases (cycles) before its  crowning. The phases are: glory restored-(salvation), glory revealed-(trials, sufferings, persecution, etc.,) and the glory reflected-(manifest glory of God in a believer's life). The glory restored is what salvation is all about. Until you know Christ through genuine salvation, there will be no crowning with glory. No, there will be no crowning until the original glory man lost through Adam and Eve is restored. For every glory in destiny to be revealed, suffering must accompany it. No one wants to suffer though God intends to use these unpleasant circumstances to cleanse, refine, prune and purge us from every contaminant that may pollute or interfere with his glory yet to be reflected in and through us. Besides, God speaks to us and uses tribulation, affliction, and persecutions undesirable though as aspect and instrument of maturity to make us fit and to perfect us. For example, in  1 Peter chapter 5 verse 10, Apostle Peter encouraged the believers and informed them about the outcome of their suffering "But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you." God deliberately permit some of the troubles we have to draw us closer to him, it is not always the devil that is responsible for those experiences but God. If Jesus our Lord and savior suffered, the saints of old, the great apostles even Apostle Paul suffered we cannot be exempted.

Prophet Isaiah  in Isaiah 54 verses 11-12 revealed the mind of God for a glorious ending after suffering "O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair color and lay thy foundation with Sapphires. And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones."  Hence, Christians must not look for a better life but a better resurrection, however, unnecessary sufferings must be eliminated. We are broken, yielded and malleable in God's hands when we are crushed through suffering. As we become weak and seemingly powerless during trials and persecutions, God wants us to absolutely depends on him for power and might. There is power in weakness, for in it is the awesome power of God and those who understand God dare not go to him full! It is the revelation of God's glory that meet needs but the only key to the revelation of God's glory is obedience to God's will even if it entails suffering.

Divine glory is reflected as we are emptied of self and delight ourselves in God. There is no short cut to it, willful submission to divine process is a necessity and the process (phases or cycles) must be completed before crowning. It is a futile effort to seek an easy way out. To enjoy divine backing we  must earnestly pursue divine glory. Hence, there is the need to strive for divine glory in its fullness. The glory reflected is acquired in the presence of God.  A good example is Moses as recorded in Exodus chapter 34 verse 30 "And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him." Jesus Christ, God incarnate also exemplify the manifest glory at the mount of transfiguration because while he was here on earth he walked in the fullness of the spirit and was never in flesh. As it is normal and natural for a king to be crowned, so is the divine desire for us. God still crowns with glory and his delight is that by all means we reign as kings here on earth for he has made us kings and priests unto himself ! Revelation 1:6