CROWNING THE YEAR

CROWNING THE YEAR

Psa. 65:11 You crown the year with your bounty;
your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.

Our church used to have Dick Mills in for meetings every year about this time. This was one of the scriptures he often quoted as he shared with us about the coming year and the goodness of God. The Lord crowns our year with His goodness. Brother Mills would often refer to Strongs’ Word Book as he defined the underlying meaning in this verse. This is Strongs’ definition of the word “crown”.

âṭar * aw-tar’ * A primitive root; to encircle (for attack or protection); especially to crown (literally or figuratively): – compass, crown

One of the beautiful implications of this powerful word is this, The Lord encircles our lives with His promises and blessings. He has this year, from January 1 until December 31 in His care. As you enter into 2014 realize this, this year is encircled by the favor of God. No matter how uncertain and fragile your world looks, if you are His, He is crowning your year with His blessing. Spurgeon also spoke about the beautiful meaning of this verse in his Treasury of David.

“Thou crownest the year with thy goodness. The harvest is the plainest display of the divine bounty, and the crown of the year. The Lord himself conducts the coronation, and sets the golden coronal upon the brow of the year. Or we may understand the expression to mean that God’s love encircles the year as with a crown; each month has its gems, each day its pearl. Unceasing kindness girdles all time with a belt of love. The providence of God in its visitations makes a complete circuit, and surrounds the year. And thy paths drop fatness. The footsteps of God, when he visits the land with rain, create fertility. It was said of the Tartar hordes, that grass grew no more where their horses’ feet had trodden; so, on the contrary, it may be said that the march of Jehovah, the Fertilizer, may be traced by the abundance which he creates. For spiritual harvests we must look to him, for he alone can give “times of refreshing” and feasts of Pentecost.”

Each day of 2014 has its beautiful pearl, Spurgeon said. That pearl may come in different forms. Sometimes it appears as an answer to prayer, other times it may come suddenly by surprise, the unexpected over and above blessing on your life. Other times it may come as a word of scripture given to you in season; who knows, it may come as a gentle word of correction to return you to His path for your life. Spurgeon also said each month has its gems. What kind of gems lie ahead of you this year? Could it be the blessing of winning a soul to Christ and receiving the soul winner’s crown”? Or maybe you will receive the unwanted, hidden gem of being persecuted for His name. That might not be the gem you are looking for in this new year, but at the end of the day, it could be the brightest jewel in your crown.