As I was reading Psalm 8, I kept going back to verses 5 and 6:
Yet you made them only a little lower than God and crowned them with glory and honor.
You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority. (NLT)
Who does “them” refer to? Looking back at verse 4 we see that “them” is mankind, mere mortals. In other words…us. Now, read those two verses again, but this time, substitute your name for the word “them.” Did that just give you chills? God made us—you and me—only a little lower than Himself. He crowned us with glory and honor. God put us in charge of EVERYTHING! ALL things are under our authority (‘under our feet’ as some versions say). There is no limit to “all things!”
Ah, Satan is already whispering doubts to you, isn’t he? He would like nothing better than to convince you this authority, this dominion does not apply to you. But it does. Look at the following verses:
You have crowned him with glory and honor and set him over the works of Your hands,
For You have put everything in subjection under his feet.
Now in putting everything in subjection to man, He left nothing outside [of man’s] control.
Hebrews 2:7b-8a (AMP)
For the Scriptures say, “God has put all things under his authority.”
1 Corinthians 15:27a (NLT)
We were created to have dominion over all things. Not some things but ALL things. That is why it is such a tragedy when we are held in bondage by things of this world.
This authority was originally given to Adam and we still have the same authority because of our relationship with Jesus Christ. According to Barnes’ Notes on the Bible:
“The language is taken from the act of treading down the enemies in battle…The idea is that of complete and entire subjection.”
That makes us conquerors, right? Yes! As Romans 8:37 states “…in all these things we are more than conquerors….” We have the power to be overwhelmingly victorious! Think about that for a minute…God’s love for us is so great that He honors us by giving us dominion over ALL things!
Sisters, this is a precious gift we have been given. One that the enemy does NOT want us to use. Satan would like nothing more than to keep us oppressed—doubting that we have such authority. The authority is ours, if we choose to receive it. When we make that choice to receive that God-given authority, we give the glory and honor back to God.
Such great power. Such great love. It makes me ask, as David did, “What are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?” Don’t give your God-given authority to the enemy. Take it back. Then glorify the Lord as we sing, “Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your Name in all the earth!”
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Lord, thank You for giving us such great honor and authority. Teach us to accept the authority and use it in a manner that glorifies You so that the entire world will recognize just how majestic You truly are. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen – so be it!
