June 20

who redeems your life from the Pit and crowns you with loving devotion and compassion, — Ps 103:4 BSB

The coronation of a king puts the final and highest seal on his authority. This is why the bride in Song of Solomon says, “Go forth, daughters of Zion, and see King Solomon with the crown his mother placed on him on the day of his wedding, the day of his heart’s joy” (Song of Sol. 3:11). How much greater will that day be when the true Solomon is crowned as Lord of all.

There is a crown placed upon the soul that has been healed of all its diseases and redeemed from destruction. It’s as if God Himself cannot rest until He has placed the crown of His loving-kindness upon the soul, until He has crowned the heart with His love. And what is the result? The soul places a crown of glory upon God’s head. The soul receives the crown of grace, and God receives the crown of glory. This is what it means to be crowned with loving-kindness and tender mercies. What a crown it is! It covers all our iniquities, hiding them from God’s sight as a crown covers the brow of a monarch. It crowns all our trials, no matter how severe and painful they were at the time. It crowns all our losses by placing upon the grieving heart the crown of God’s loving-kindness. It crowns all our prayers by showing us their gracious answers. It crowns all of God’s dealings with us, both in providence and grace, placing the seal of His loving-kindness upon them all. This crown includes everything—just as a queen’s crown symbolizes her royalty, dignity, and power, so God’s crown of loving-kindness encompasses every blessing for time and eternity.