day no. 16,455: the cross comes before the crown, but the crown does come

“The cross comes before the crown and tomorrow is a Monday morning!” — C. S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory

The crown may not come until after the cross, but it does most certainly come. No crown worth having could come without it. The cross may precede the kingdom and the junk may go before the joy, but the kingdom does come and the joy is found. The will of God will be done on earth as it is in Heaven, and His joy, likewise, is assured because of what He first endured.

Hebrews 12:2

Look unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Jesus endured the cross for the sake of the joy that lay beyond it. Let us also lay aside every weight and sin that so easily entangle and engage every difficulty set before us today with our eyes on the prize and the crown kept in view.

“At this hour the church expects to walk in sympathy with her Lord along a thorny road; through much tribulation she is forcing her way to the crown.” — Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Morning and Evening