God's Favor In The New YearSample

“You crown the year….” (Ps 65:11 NLT).

A crown is a special and glittering insignia worn by special people like Kings, Queens, Emperors & other royalty. At sporting events in Biblical times, sometimes a crown or something that resembled it was given to the winners. In present-day beauty contests too, the winner is given a crown. We also crown people with titles like King of Rock and Roll (Elvis Presley), and King of Pop (Michael Jackson). Of course, we know only too well that human crowns fall off after a season. Crowns are however identified mostly with royalty.

The Bible identifies God’s people as a Royal Priesthood, crowned by God Himself! Psalm 65: 11 says that ‘God crowns the year’. Yes, His grace will crown every day we face in 2018, with its challenges. Let’s never forget that we are royalty crowned by the Lord Himself!! 

Let’s now look at some of the crowns God has blessed us with as mentioned in the Bible. In 2 Timothy 4:8, Paul, possibly remembering the then famous Isthmian Games, speaks about a ‘crown of righteousness’, while in James 1:12, we read about the ‘crown of life’. Isaiah 61:3 talks about a ‘crown of beauty’ and 1 Corinthians 9:25, reminds us about an ‘eternal crown’. Peter, in his first epistle tells us about a ‘crown of glory’ (1 Peter 5:4) and Isaiah 51:11 says, ‘Everlasting joy will crown their (believers) heads’. All these crowns belong to God’s children; to you and me.

We will look at the ‘crown’ Psalm 65:11 speaks about in our next devotional. 

Prayer

Lord, help me to understand more fully the ‘royal’ calling you have placed on my life and ministry and the favour that it brings.