Crown

 In that day the Lord of hosts will be a crown of glory, and a diadem of beauty, to the remnant of his people,
Isaiah 28:5 ESV
https://bible.com/bible/59/isa.28.5.ESV

This is an amazing verse. That there would even be a remnant of God's rebellious people is a mark of His mercy and grace. But that unclean sinners like us can describe the God of the angel armies as a crown of glory is amazing. He would be within His rights to condemn us to hell, not to crown us with glory and beauty.

The amazingness doesn't stop there. What does it take for Almighty God to crown us with glory and beauty? He can't just brush our sins under the carpet. It took His only beloved Son to wear a crown of thorns so that we might be forgiven and reconciled to Him.

Even Isaiah only had glimpses of the glory of God's rescue plan, coming seven hundred years before Christ. Yet in these years of our Lord, we can see the glory and beauty of God in Christ. His love for us is humbling.

And what will we do with our crowns of glory and beauty? Proudly wear them, as though we earned them? No, we will lay our crowns at the feet of Jesus, for He is all glorious and beautiful.

'Sovereign God, how amazing that You would glorify and beautify shameful and ugly creatures like us! May we truly become glorious and beautiful, not to boast in ourselves, but in You. For the honour of Your name, amen'

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