But You, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head. –Psalm 3:3 NASB1995
This lovely gem, penned by King David, gives us a tri-fold picture of God’s glory. His glory is mysterious and vast, but these three jewels—identity in Christ, honor for God, and a restored life—can crown our heads with a glimpse of His glory.
Our Identity in Christ
King David lost his earthly crown for a season because his son Absalom was trying to kill him, so David cried out to the King of his life, saying, “But You, O LORD, are a shield about me.” David knew his true identity, for God had placed a divine diadem upon the broken man’s head, giving him earthly and eternal security. Likewise, identity is secure for us as Christ-followers, because the matchless King purchases us with great price, claims us as His own, and gloriously adorns our heads with a golden crown beset with Calvary’s crimson stone, front and center.
Because of His work at the cross, Christ is the Father’s greatest glory: His precious Son—the Glory—whom He offered up as the sacrifice for all. This wonderful act grants us a place at the royal table—as children of the Father, siblings of the Son, and friends of the Holy Spirit. There is no greater love than this! What father would offer his child to the world as payment for sins, instead of offering his own life, unless he wanted to demonstrate an even more amazing love? The Father’s love is a great love indeed, revealing His glory!
Honor for God
King David must have experienced this great love because he called God “his glory.” “The man after [God’s] own heart” understood that the Lord’s honor usurped his insignificant, kingly credentials (Acts 13:22). Since the Lord crowned David with identity, he was able “to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple” (Psalm 27:4 NIV). David witnessed God’s glory, the riches he possessed saying, “Yahweh, you alone are my inheritance. You are my prize, my pleasure, and my portion. You hold my destiny and its timing in your hands. My heart and soul explode with joy—full of glory!” (Psalm 16:5, 9 TPT).
Like David we can witness God’s glory and truly honor Him by pondering the magnificence of His creation—the beauty of the earth, the radiance of the skies, the uniqueness of loved ones—and most of all, by meditating on His holiness, sitting in His royal presence, and basking in His lovingkindness. God’s generosity is so astounding that He even “[crowns us] with glory and honor” and “[makes us] rulers over the works of [His] hands” to give us purpose (Psalm 8:5–6 NIV). Revelations of God’s glory are like precious gems, adorning our heads and hearts, causing us to worship Christ, the flawless Diamond, our sturdy Cornerstone. He is worthy of all our honor—our most glorious treasure!
A Restored Life
David gladly traded his old crown jewels for this new regalia of a restored life, fashioned by the “One who [lifted his] head,” by the One who could change his emotions from fear to peace and alter his circumstances and character for His glory. David saw himself clearly—a desperate man in need of a Savior. His humility—grace’s garland, forged in suffering—opened David’s spiritual eyes to see God’s glory and to receive transformation. Similarly, we, “with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV). What a promise we’ve been given!
God restores us—His chosen, predestined heirs—when our hearts treasure Him. God transforms us—forgiven and loved children—into His image as we meditate on His glory, embracing Jesus, trusting the Father’s goodness, admiring Him as our greatest treasure! No longer finding our identity in the enemy’s shenanigans of fame, folly, and fortune, we will be transformed into His likeness, “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in [us] will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6 NIV). Our restoration brings God glory!
So, let’s “contemplate the Lord’s glory”—always peering through the glory lens. When we read Scripture, pray, and journey with the Lord, let’s continually look for our identity in Christ, actively honor God’s greatness, and humbly allow Him to transform us. And as we move from glory to glory, the Designer will add more jewels to our crowns. Then, when we meet Him one day, with all the saints, we can “fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast [our] crowns before the throne, saying: ‘You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power’” (Revelation 4:10–11 NKJV).