"In that day the LORD Almighty will be a glorious crown, a beautiful wreath for the remnant of his people. He will be a spirit of justice to the one who sits in judgment, a source of strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate." (Isaiah 28:5,6 NIV)
There came a day when the Glorious Crown wore the most inglorious of crowns.
The roots for this crown were planted the moment Adam and Eve chose their way over God's way, and sin contaminated creation's perfection. Divine justice demanded this sin be dealt with, and so God meted out His right punishment, telling Adam, "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field" (Genesis 3:17,18).
The curse followed Adam and all his descendants along every road they walked until one day, its roots climbed a hill called Calvary, and its thorns—heavy with the accumulated sin of every person who had come before and the anticipated sin of every person who would come after—were woven into the cruelest of crowns and set on the head of the Glorious One.
The worst cruelty of Jesus' crown of thorns was not the piercing of His flesh with their sharpness but the piercing of his soul with our sinfulness.
Yet in wearing that crown of death, the King of kings purchased for us the crown of life.
"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).
The crowning is coming, my friends. Keep on keeping on. Stand up for the test. Wait for your crown. It will be worth it, and it will be glorious.
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I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to tell me what you really think. Years ago, I explained to my then-two-year-old that my appointment with a counselor was "sort of like going to a doctor who will help me be a better mommy." Without blinking, she replied, "You'd better go every day." All of which is just to say I've spent some time in the school of brutal honesty!