Coronation Day

Blessed is the man who endures trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life which God has promised to those who love him.

James 1:12 RSV

To the Christian, death is said in the Bible to be a coronation. The picture here is that of a regal prince who, after his struggles and conquests in an alien land, comes to his native country and court to be crowned and honored for his deeds.

The Bible says we are pilgrims and strangers in a foreign land. This world is not our home; our citizenship is in heaven. To him who is faithful, Christ will give a crown of life. Paul said, “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).

When D. L. Moody was dying, he looked up to heaven and said, “Earth is receding; heaven is opening; this is my coronation day.” Yes, death is the Christian’s coronation, the end of conflict and the beginning of glory and triumph in heaven.

Our Father and our God, I am a simple servant in Your Kingdom, and I do my best to worship and serve You. I pledge myself to be faithful to You for life. I long for the end of my earthly conflict and the beginning of glory in heaven, but I live in joy and celebration until that time because of Christ. In Him I pray. Amen.

Billy Graham, Unto the Hills: A Daily Devotional (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2010).