I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. There is reserved for me in the future the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved His appearing. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 HCSB
My wife and I were recently eating at a Burger King where bright yellow crowns decorated the windows in the restaurant. There was a small boy in one of the booths near us that asked his mother if he could have a crown. She retrieved one of the cardboard crowns and placed it gently on his head. He smiled from ear to ear. The little boy felt like a king and was proud to have a crown, even if it was only made of cardboard.
We typically think of a crown as being made of ornate gold and precious stones, much like the crown jewels that are securely guarded in London and only worn on special occasions by the queen or king of England. The crown represents power and authority. In the athletic realm the crown was usually made out of flowers, leaves, twigs, or even grass. The winner of an event would receive a crown in recognition of his achievement. The crowns of this earth will disappear and will have no value, but the crown of righteousness will never fade away. Just as an athlete who has victory receives a crown, believers have victory in Jesus and will receive the crown of righteousness someday.
Challenge: Thank God that as a believer you have won the race and will someday receive the crown of righteousness. Praise God that you have victory in Jesus. Listen to the old hymn, “Victory in Jesus” on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K7JiUEl23E