Thursday, July 13, 2017

Reaching for the Crown

 

[Photo of a Scripture verse]


“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial
because, having stood the test, that person
will receive the crown of life that the Lord
has promised to those who love him.”
—James 1:12

Apart from a visit to Burger King®, most people would never anticipate that someone might give them a crown—not some fake crown or party-favor crown—but a genuine, jewel-encrusted crown of pure gold and of inestimable value.

Even so, Christians can eagerly anticipate that day when we will stand before Jesus, He will place just such a crown on our heads, and we will bow before Him and lay that crown at His feet.

The Apostle James recognized how very important this “crowning day” would be, if Christians were to understand their importance to their Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice what he wrote, as recorded in James 1:12:

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

It is possible that this very day some of us will come under attack from the enemy or be forced to endure some other trial in our lives. That’s a normal part of living in a sin-cursed world. But, God will give us the ability to make our way through whatever trial may come through the intervention in our lives by the Holy Spirit.

So, as we begin this new day, let’s grasp tightly to the truth that we will someday receive the crown of life that James talks about. And, it will be a most magnificent crown, indeed.

We can use this great hope to fuel our ability to endure whatever may come our way and give glory to God for His faithfulness to us—faithfulness born out of His great love for us.

 

Copyright © 2017 by Dean K. Wilson. All Rights Reserved.