James 1:12
“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
I have to confess, I was never much of a checker player. It has been years since I played, but I do remember that when you are able to get one of your game pieces to the row closest to your opponent, that checker is “crowned” with another checker. Once a piece is crowned it can be moved either backwards or forward.
Some people seem to think they are entitled to be treated like royalty here on earth. They almost demand that we crown them. I really do not care if you are king or commoner, the only crown that counts is the one we are promised in today’s Scripture.
There will come a day when we will receive the crown of life. This particular crown is given to those who endure temptation. Every person on the face of the earth faces temptation. There is no sin in being tempted. It is how we respond to the temptation that matters.
For those who yield to temptation there are consequences. You may have experienced some of these failures in your own life. Thankfully, we can remedy the failure by confessing our sins and receiving the blood of Jesus Christ to cover the sin. The other thing is to say “no” to temptation. That is what it means to endure temptation. The reward is the crown of life. CROWN ME!
May God richly bless you as you bless others by your words and actions!
– – – Pastor Cecil