When you get dressed today, boys and girls, don’t forget to wear your crown! Or did you think that crowns were only for kings and queens? Certainly kings and queens do wear crowns, but there are other kinds of crowns too, and some of them can be for you.
Some of the first crowns ever made were not of silver or gold at all. They were made of leaves and flowers and given to the winners of races in the early Olympics, or to some who won poetry contests. Of course, these crowns wilted and faded, but at the time, the winners considered them to be a special prize.
When Queen Victoria was to be crowned, she was only 18 years old and she was too small to be able to wear the heavy crown that was usually worn at coronations. So they made a new crown for her that had 2,783 diamonds, 277 pearls, 17 sapphires, 11 emeralds and 5 rubies ... 3093 jewels in all. Even with all those jewels, it was lighter than the other crown.
The late Queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II, had a crown made of silver and decorated with many jewels, like the Koh-i-noor diamond which is one of the most famous diamonds in the whole world. But the crown is so heavy and uncomfortable that they had to line it with fur, and even then the Queen could not wear it for very long. Most of the time it just sat in a heavy glass case with guards around it. When the Lord Jesus comes back to rule the world and the earth and heaven flee away before the face of Him that sits on the throne, this valuable crown will be worth nothing.
None of these crowns are for you and me. But we can have crowns worth much more than any earthly crown. The Bible tells us about those crowns. One of them, called the “crown of life,” is for those who have been faithful to the Lord Jesus all the way to dying for Him. This same crown is also for those who endure temptations. That is something all of us can do ... not give in when we are tempted to do the wrong thing. Then there is a “crown of glory” for those who help to take care of God’s sheep. And the “crown of righteousness” is for those who love the appearing of the Lord Jesus and show it by their lives. These are crowns that the Lord Jesus will give out in heaven. These crowns will not fade away like the crowns of leaves! And no one will find them to be too heavy, like the English crowns.
But do we have to wait until we get to heaven for all the crowns? What about the one I suggested that you wear today? That crown is found in Psalm 103:2,42Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: (Psalm 103:2)
4Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; (Psalm 103:4). “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits ... who [crowns you] with loving-kindness and tender mercies.” This crown is very comfortable, even when you are playing. It will never fade and it won’t disappear when the heavens and the earth melt away. This crown is the loving-kindness of the Lord Jesus and His tender mercies. How the Lord Jesus loves to see you with this crown on! If you aren’t wearing it, maybe it’s because you’ve never accepted the greatest loving-kindness ever given — the forgiveness of your sins. “In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:77In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; (Ephesians 1:7)).
There are some people who seem to wear this crown of loving-kindness all the time, and how it sparkles! One dear Christian lady I knew was wearing this crown every time I saw her. She was old and had health troubles and very often she was alone. But her joy in the Lord Jesus shone out so beautifully that I could always see her crown of loving-kindness and
tender mercies.
One day this Christian lady came to our house for supper when we had invited some of the children from the Sunday school. These children, I’m afraid, not only did not have a crown but they also did not have the Savior. They spent quite a lot of time complaining and running noisily up and down the stairs. My smile faded as I tried to calm down those children, and I’m afraid any crown that I might have had faded too. But this dear Christian lady’s crown kept shining. She saw more than just the naughty children. She saw their precious souls that needed salvation and called them “dear children” and wanted a kiss from each one as they left. I’ve never forgotten that visit even though it was many years ago, because my dear old friend was wearing her crown, and I saw it sparkle.
There is one more awful crown that I must tell you about. This crown was made of thorns and it was put on the head of the Lord Jesus. Although He is King over all other kings, He came into this world to die on the cross for our sins. Men put that cruel crown of thorns on His head, and Jesus wore it patiently because of His love for us. Have you ever thanked Him?
If you have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, then don’t forget to let your crown be seen! You’ll enjoy it, and He will be happy to see it on you. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:1616Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)).
Messages of God’s Love 3/2/2025