Monday, January 9, 2017

2017 WORD of the Year

After a year of restoration, I was rather curious to find out what my word would be for this year. I mean, how do you continue on from accepting to resting to returning, then to journey, followed by restoring? I thought that journey may have ended my OneWord365 involvement and, when it wasn't, then restore must be the end, right? Again, I was surprised to receive yet another word to direct my year. Apparently my word for 2017 is looking to be "STEADFAST."  

Per The Free Dictionary, the definition of steadfast is: 
Firmly loyal or constant; unswerving
Fixed or unchanging
Fixed or unmovable
Fixed in intensity or direction; steady
Unwavering or determined in purpose, loyalty
The first Scripture verse that came my direction in regards to being steadfast was:
And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. ~ 1 Peter 5:10 NIV

This verse spoke very deeply to me. It does a great job of summing up the past few years of my life. After God brought me through a restorative year, this verse reminded me that it is now time for me to learn how to stand firm in what I have learned through 2016. After restoration, the author, Peter, assures that after God restores, He will then make us strong, firm, and steadfast. Here are several other Bible verses that address the idea of standing firm and steadfast. (New International Version)
My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music. ~ Psalm 57:7
Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees! ~ Psalm 119:5
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. ~ Isaiah 26:3
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. ~ Psalm 51:10
My heart, O God, is steadfast; I will sing and make music with all my soul. ~ Psalm 108:1
They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. ~ Psalm 112:7
Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. ~ Proverbs 4:26
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. ~ 1 Corinthians 15:58
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. ~ 1 Corinthians 16:13
"God is mighty, but despises no one; He is mighty, and firm in His purpose." ~ Job 36:5
The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him. ~ Psalm 37:23
An interesting thought I had while processing this word and what it may look like this year was a reminder of the passage that was ingrained in my head and heart throughout the past year. 
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitting with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. ~ Ephesians 6:10-18
It kind of appears that, while going through a year of restoration, God was also preparing me for the ability to be steadfast in the healing and growth we have been working towards. Armoring up will certainly be required. As the Armor of God passage appeared to follow me around last year, it has already begun to seem that the 1 Peter 5 passage from the beginning of this post is going to be the same. I am curiouser and curiouser. 


all contents (c) 2017 Laura Inglis