I choose a word for the first time in 2016. The word I chose for 2016 was trust according to Proverbs 3:5&6.
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
When I chose that word I thought that it meant that a lot of new and exciting things would happen. That I’d have to trust because there would be new and exciting things happening just outside my comfort zone.
While that was partly true, some of 2016 was a challenging year. Our family walked through the unexpected death of our sister, sister-in-law, and Auntie. She was so young that I still can’t believe it’s really true at times. The months that followed were months of wondering what I believed and why. Throughout that time, I held on to the fact that I could trust in God. And that he would never let me down.
Now For this Year
Needless to say, I wasn’t sure I wanted to pick a word for this year. I mean, if picking a word means walking through hardship, why would I want to do it? So I actually didn’t ask God for one. Maybe I would have, eventually, but I hadn’t yet.
The day was Christmas Day. We spent the day together with just our little family. It was lovely outside (for winter) and I felt the need for some time to reflect. So I excused myself and told my husband I was going out for a walk.
During that walk, I reflected on the goodness of God.
Because in spite of everything, he really is good. I praised him and thanked him for all he’d done in my life in 2016.
That’s when I heard clear as day, “Your Word for 2017 is Hope.” I don’t know about you, but there are times when I ‘think’ I’ve heard from God. This was not one of those times. This time, I knew I heard from God. Period. End of story.
Honestly, I wasn’t quite so sure about this word. I mean, really? Everywhere I read on the internet, I read about action words. Hope didn’t seem like much of an action word to me. I couldn’t shake the word, though, because I knew I had heard from God.
During this time, I had a chat with a dear friend/mentor and shared the word that I believed God gave me. Almost immediately she said that she saw a picture of hope. That this was to be the hub of everything that I do this year. That was confirmation for me and I instantly saw exactly what she said.
So my word is Hope.
Psalm 31:24 (NLT) “So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord!”
Last year I learned to let go of my pre-conceived expectations for the year. That I really can’t make anything happen. You really can’t make anything happen.
What you and I can do is walk closely with the Lord.
Trust in his ways.
Hope in his goodness.
Joy in who he created you to be.
So I’m putting my hope in him. I know he will carry me through. I know he will carry you through if you will just put your trust AND hope in him.
How about you? Have you ever chosen a Word for the year? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments.
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