READ: PSALM 103:2-5, ROMANS 8:14-17, EPHESIANS 2:19

In the murky pre-dawn light, Linota led her dappled mare along the ocean’s shore. Her cloak was torn, and her bare feet blistered. A golden crown lay on her tangled hair. White foam curled around her ankles as she waded into the water. Hands shaking, she lifted the crown from her head and flung it into the ocean. Her heart felt like ice as she watched it sink beneath the waves. Closing her eyes, she remembered how the hooded figures had stolen into the castle, set fire to her home, and imprisoned her family. She had fled, galloping into the black night with only the clothes on her back—forced to leave everything she’d ever known.

A princess without a kingdom is no princess at all, she thought bitterly.

Her mare snorted and tugged on the reins in Linota’s hand. She opened her eyes. Golden beams of light burst from the horizon. Yet the light did not come from the sun, but from a figure walking on the waves toward her. Linota watched transfixed as the man reached into the ocean and pulled out her golden crown. He approached till he stood right before her, the crown in his right hand.

“I can’t take it back,” she said, “I am not a princess anymore.”

“A princess is not defined by what she does or does not have,” the man said, “She is a princess simply because of the blood running through her veins.”

He knelt and placed the crown on her forehead. “And your veins, dear child, run with the blood of kings.”

She felt something cold and hard inside her crack, like ice breaking off the surface of the river at spring thaw. She bowed deeply before the man. When she rose, he was gone.

Her mare whinnied beside her. Waves crashed in the distance. A salty ocean breeze tugged at her hair. Linota felt the weight of the crown encircling her head, but this time she did not take it off. Instead, she lifted her head high and smiled into the rising sun. • Margaret Bellers

• Today’s allegorical story echoes the story of David. After God said David would be king, people tried to kill him. David had to fleefor his life more than once. Yet, even when David was hiding out in the wilderness, he was still God’s chosen ruler—and God was always with him (Psalm 139). If we know Jesus, we have been adopted into His family. Because Jesus shed His blood on the cross for us and rose again, His royal blood now runs in our veins. Yet, we all have times when we feel like anything but royalty. As we wait for Jesus to return and give us our full inheritance, it can be easy to let things in our life determine how we see ourselves—such as what we do or don’t have, our circumstances, or what we’ve done. What are some things in your life that you have allowed to define you? Do these things line up with what God says about you in the Bible?

• How might knowing that you are part of God’s royal family, created and loved by Him, forever forgiven and cleansed, change the way you view yourself? Like a crown, you can wear these truths proudly, knowing that who you are is dependent on God and His love for you, and not on anything else. What are some practical ways you can remind yourself of your true identity? Do you have any favorite Bible passages that reveal who you are? Are there any trusted Christians in your life who can remind you of how God sees you?

• If you want to dig deeper, read Psalms 3:3; 34:5; 37:1-40; Ezekiel 36:26-28; John 1:12-13; Ephesians 1:5; 2:1-20; 1 Peter 1:1-9; 2:9-17; Revelation 21:1-6.

All that is within me, praise his holy name!…who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies. Psalm 103:1-4 (WEB)