For the past few years, I’ve always had a ‘word of the year’ and a ‘verse of the year’. Instead of making New Year’s resolutions - which never work for me - at the start of the year I sit down with God and pray about my word and verse for the year. Last year my word was ‘intentional’ and my verse was Psalm 46:10 - “Be still and know that I am God.” They just felt right and I found myself framing every decision I made throughout the year around these two things and it worked out so well. God really knows what He’s doing, doesn’t he?
So this January, I was excited to sit down and plan my word and verse for the year, hoping it would give me some insight into what the year would hold. But, no matter how hard I tried or didn’t try, I couldn’t seem to find anything that felt right - like last years did. I toyed with loads of different options, but couldn’t seem to settle on one at all. I remember picking a word and verse, but I can’t remember what they are now, which shows that they definitely haven’t been shaping my year at all!
I was reflecting on this the other day and suddenly a word hit me that I hadn’t even considered back in January: Trust. And with it the verse Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” And it felt so right. Looking back on the past 5 months, I can see how trust has framed every decision I’ve had to make and every circumstance I’ve been through. How this year has been a pattern of submitting to the Lord again and again and becoming more and more dependent on Him. This year - so far - I feel like I’ve been shown just how much I don’t know and just how much He does know.
If God had shown me the word ‘trust’ back in January it definitely wouldn’t have meant the same thing and held the same weight as it does now. But because He knew what was going to happen, He held that back from me until the perfect moment - He showed me in His own timing. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I wonder whether there is anyone else who has a word or verse of the year?