A FOREVER CROWN

A FOREVER CROWN
Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
1 Corinthians 9:25 (NIV)

The morning star shone like a diamond on a backdrop of black velvet as I sat perched on my favorite boulder sipping my first coffee of the day.  It was a few minutes before 4AM and I yawned as Gracie, our new golden retriever puppy jumped into the lantana bush a few feet away from where I sat.   Teddy, our more dignified 4-year old golden sat with his noble head raised keeping watch as he lounged by the spa.

Marc had already headed into L.A. for a meeting and I was relishing the fact that having spent several days at the dentist for a root canal I had no place to rush off to today.  The permanent crown had been set the previous day so I was finished with crowns with the exception of an old crown I had been told needed to be replaced soon.  This sent my thoughts to pondering how temporary the permanent crown was.

“Earthly crowns don’t last,” a familiar voice thundered through my soul.

“Good morning, Lord,” I said with a smile that spread through my heart as we sat together watching the puppy bound across the yard.

“Lord, why does the dentist call the crown permanent when it isn’t?  It doesn’t make sense.  It’s only permanent temporarily and then it has to be replaced,” I finished.

Gracie had grown tired of playing and sat at the French doors waiting to go back inside to the air conditioning.  I grabbed my coffee cup and the dogs and I headed inside.  Teddy and Gracie lay on the cool tile while the Lord and I headed to the Well to have a conversation about crowns.

We stopped first in the Old Testament where I read about a temporary crown.

 The crown has fallen from our head.
Lamentations 5:16 (NIV)

“I hope my crowns don’t fall from my head,” I said as I cringed at the mental image and many hours in the dentist’s chair such an occurrence would bring about.

“This crown fell as a result of sin,”  The Lord said and I finished reading the verse which said, “Woe to us, for we have sinned!”

I thought about the fallen world we live in.  The moment people are born we begin to die.  Jobs are acquired and lost.  Causes come and go. I thought about material things and how in a sense they crown our efforts of work, yet they do not last.  Furniture wears out, paint fades, tile cracks, roofs weaken and blow off in the harsh desert winds.  I looked around the living room and whispered, “It’s all so permanently temporary.”  My heart looked up at Him who is my Salvation and very hope of my soul as He continued talking with me about crowns.

“Don’t put your trust in earthly crowns,” He said.

“Tell me more,” I said, leaning in so that I didn’t miss anything He had to teach me from His Word.

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
1 Corinthians 9:25 (NIV)

Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
2 Tim 4:8 (NIV)

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
James 1:12 (NIV)

 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
1 Peter 5:4 (NIV)

Then I thought of the crown Jesus wore just before He was nailed to the cross to pay for sin: yours and mine.  The soldiers had woven it together and then with mocking they pressed it into the precious head of the King of kings and Lord of lords.  Tears stung my eyes as I read.

The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head.
John 19:2 (NIV)

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. ¹² His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. ¹³ He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. ¹⁴ The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. ¹⁵ Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. ¹⁶ On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
Rev 19:11-16 (NIV)
The Word of God thundered through my heart, clearing away any thought of temporal crowns as He who was and is and is to come, spoke and I knelt there in the quiet and worshiped Him who is alone worthy of all worship and praise.
“O glorious King, Lord of my heart, Lord of all, be magnified.  Be glorified.  Be exalted.  Forgive my heart that so easily becomes distracted by temporary crowns.  Stir my heart with the purifying breath of the Holy Spirit, purify me with the consuming fire of Your Word to run the race You have set before me until that day I stand before You and You say, “Daughter, well done good and faithful servant.”  I will fall to my knees in reverent awe and worship as You place the crown of life eternal upon my head and all the host of heaven shall sing Holy is the Lamb.  Holy, Holy, Holy is the Eternal King.”
Dear one, how do you spend your time and your energy?  Are you exhausted in the pursuit of the temporary and the fleeting?  Have you pursued health and it is failing?  Wealth and it is waning?  Material things and they are worn?  Relationships and they are broken?   Run the race on earth with your eyes fixed on Jesus.  Temporary crowns fall from your head and shatter in the dust of what was.  Faithfully stay the course, persevere and stand firmly with your feet firmly planted in the Word of God; trusting in the One who holds you and will one day welcome you home and whisper “Well done, daughter,” in your ear and place the unfading and eternal crown of life upon your bowed head.  It will never fade.  It will never fall. It will never tarnish.  It shines with the eternal glory of Jesus Christ, Lord of lords and King of kings.
…and worship him who lives forever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
¹¹ "You are worthy, our Lord and God,
     to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
     and by your will they were created
     and have their being."
Revelation 4:10-11 (NIV)
 Glory!
An Original Conversations at the Well
© Copyright by Diana Morgan August 8, 2012
Think about the words to this wonderful hymn.
Crown Him With Many Crowns
Crown Him with many crowns, the Lamb upon His throne.
Hark! How the heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own.
Awake, my soul, and sing of Him who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless King through all eternity.

Crown Him the virgin’s Son, the God incarnate born,
Whose arm those crimson trophies won which now His brow adorn;
Fruit of the mystic rose, as of that rose the stem;
The root whence mercy ever flows, the Babe of Bethlehem.

Crown Him the Son of God, before the worlds began,
And ye who tread where He hath trod, crown Him the Son of Man;
Who every grief hath known that wrings the human breast,
And takes and bears them for His own, that all in Him may rest.

Crown Him the Lord of life, who triumphed over the grave,
And rose victorious in the strife for those He came to save.
His glories now we sing, Who died, and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring, and lives that death may die.

Crown Him the Lord of peace, Whose power a scepter sways
From pole to pole, that wars may cease, and all be prayer and praise.
His reign shall know no end, and round His piercèd feet
Fair flowers of paradise extend their fragrance ever sweet.

Crown Him the Lord of love, behold His hands and side,
Those wounds, yet visible above, in beauty glorified.
No angel in the sky can fully bear that sight,
But downward bends his burning eye at mysteries so bright.

Crown Him the Lord of Heaven, enthroned in worlds above,
Crown Him the King to Whom is given the wondrous name of Love.
Crown Him with many crowns, as thrones before Him fall;
Crown Him, ye kings, with many crowns, for He is King of all.

Crown Him the Lord of lords, who over all doth reign,
Who once on earth, the incarnate Word, for ransomed sinners slain,
Now lives in realms of light, where saints with angels sing
Their songs before Him day and night, their God, Redeemer, King.

Crown Him the Lord of years, the Potentate of time,
Creator of the rolling spheres, ineffably sublime.
All hail, Redeemer, hail! For Thou has died for me;
Thy praise and glory shall not fail throughout eternity.