Monday, December 23, 2024

Have You Chosen Your Word of the Year for 2025?

Prayer – Lord, does time really matter? Does anyone really know what time it is…does anyone really care? We can only wait for time and use our time wisely—seeking You, Lord. 

Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD. Psalm 27:14

 

Meditate. Consider God’s timing in scripture. Read God’s word and listen to what He is saying.

 

Seek God's Blessing--New Life in Christ.

Are you seeking God’s blessings?

        What were you doing twelve years ago? It had been a year since I had started writing this blog—and last year I looked at the twelve days of Christmas. Twelve is an important number in the Bible. Note that it is in 163 verses in the New Kings James Version. It is noteworthy that Ismael, firstborn son of Abraham and Sarah’s maid Hagar, had twelve sons—who became the nations surrounding the current nation of Israel. Abraham’s grandson, Jacob’s twelve sons became known as the twelve tribes of Israel. History playing out before our eyes. Wars and rumors of wars resulting from centuries of sibling and family rivalries. What other twelves do we see in scripture? There was frequent mention of twelve gold or silver utensils in the temple and twelve oxen, rams, goats or other animals offered before the Lord as sin offerings. There were also twelve thousand soldiers and twelve hundred chariots. Twelve months, twelve years, twelve cities, twelve disciples, twelve baskets. Even in heaven there will be twelve gates. Search for yourself how many times twelve is significant throughout the Old and New Testaments.

 

Is twelve significant in your life? Twelve years of school. Who were the twelve most influential people in your life? How about five or even two most important individuals? Yes, twelve is an important number. There are twelve months ahead of us in this year of 2025. What impact will you make in other’s lives during this coming year? How will you serve the Lord by serving others? It isn’t too late to set goals and make choices about what you do—rather than just drifting through life and letting others tell you what to do and when to do it. Choose for yourself.

 

Choice. That was my word of the year for 2024. We all have a choice each day in hundreds of little things—that often result in a lifetime direction. Consider and choose wisely whom you will serve and what will you do with the time you have left here on this earth. Joshua encouraged the Israelites to choose before they crossed into the Promised Land.

"Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD! "And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:14-15 NKJV (Underlined for emphasis.)

I’m still considering my “word” for next year. Possibly, “undecided,” “invincible,” “peace,” “patience,” or “obedient.”   What is your “Word of the Year?” Have you chosen a word to guide you and give you encouragement each day? Can you choose a word that will impact on your life this year…and twelve years from now?

            In choosing your word of the year, pray, then consider how you’ve seen God working in your life this past year. What were the highlights and joys of this year? What were your challenges and what did you learn from them? Where do feel that God is leading you? What area of your life need growing or healing? What is God calling you to focus on this coming year? God wants us to have a plan—He does. Embrace your word and focus on it trusting God to use it to guide you through each day. I’m going to follow this design. You can too; the choice is yours.

 

Verse of Salvation ~ For the Scriptures say, "If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it. The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil." 1 Peter 3:10-12

 

© 2024 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved. 

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted. 

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

New King James Version (NKJV) © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Harper Collins Publisher. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm

 

Books by Mickey M. Hunacek

Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com

 

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