Crowned With Love
Faith and hope guide us for a time, but love is the eternal crown that will never fade.
Devotional Credit: His Victorious Indwelling compiled by Nick Harrison
Photo Credit: Unsplash
Today’s reading reflects on Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 13:13, where faith, hope, and love remain, but love is called the greatest. Nick Harrison reminds us that the day will come when mysteries are resolved, when faith gives way to sight and hope merges with fulfillment. In that moment, every promise we have leaned on will be fully realized in the presence of God. Until then, faith and hope are our daily guides, steadying us with light along the way.
We live in a time where faith trusts in what is unseen, and hope anchors us in what is yet to come. Love, however, endures as the crowning jewel of our walk with God. Harrison paints a picture of reconciliation complete in Jesus, who wears many crowns, and yet the crown of love is supreme. His pierced hand now holds the scepter of the kingdom, and all things rest beneath His feet. The throne of God, once distant, is now filled with the Son who reigns in love.
The added voices of Sir Robert Anderson and Jeanne Guyon deepen this meditation. Anderson points to the glory of Christ’s reign, where the outcast is lifted into the presence of God. Guyon’s poetry humbly admits that even our love for God is not from us but from Him, for by His life we live. True love is not produced by human effort but poured out by the Spirit, swallowing us up in the joy of belonging to Him.
This devotional calls us to embrace faith and hope as necessary companions, but to rest especially in love as the crown of all virtues. Faith and hope will one day dissolve into fullness, but love will never end. Love is the heartbeat of God’s kingdom, the life of Jesus within us, and the eternal reality that crowns all others.
Journal Entry – Voice of the Holy Spirit Through Scripture
My child, faith has guided you and hope has anchored you, but love will remain forever. Faith will one day give way to sight. Hope will one day be fulfilled. But My love is eternal, for I am love.
The crowns of this world fade, but the crown of love endures. It was love that sent Jesus to the cross. It is love that holds all things together. It is love that now reigns at My right hand. The love poured into your heart by My Spirit is not your own striving, but My life in you.
Do not despise faith or hope, for they are your companions until the day you stand before Me in fullness. Yet let love guide all that you do. It is the crown upon your Savior’s brow, and it is the crown that adorns you as My child. Live in that love, and you will reflect Me, for love never fails.
Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 13:13, Romans 5:5, 1 John 4:7-10, John 15:9-12, Colossians 3:14, Ephesians 3:17-19, Romans 8:24-25, Hebrews 11:1, Revelation 19:12, John 3:16.
Real-Life Analogy
Think of a lighthouse on the shoreline. Faith is like the beam of light pointing to safety, and hope is like the steady foundation keeping it firm against storms. But love is the lamp itself, the very flame that gives light and warmth. Without the flame, the beam disappears and the foundation grows cold. Love is the essence that makes both faith and hope meaningful.
Today, when I face decisions or interactions with others, I can pause and say, “Lord, I trust You to express Your love through me in this moment.” Faith and hope may steady my steps, but love crowns them all with Your life.
Prayer of Confidence
Lord, I thank You that faith points me to You and hope anchors me in Your promises. Yet above all, I rejoice that Your love never ends. Your love crowns every moment of my life, shaping my words, my thoughts, and my actions. I rest in the certainty that while faith and hope will one day be complete, Your love is eternal, and it is mine forever in Jesus.