It’s Almost February- got your Word done?

Before we leave this month of new beginnings, January, I wanted to check in with you about your word for the year. I hope you have been following the progression- thinking and praying about your word for the year. God will give you one!! My next step is to take my word and search scripture to see how it is used in God’s Word. Often this step gives you additional insight into the word and how God will possibly use it in your life. After that, you need to meditate on that word and look up related words- kind of define it for yourself in actions, feeling or meaning. I love the art portion of this when you make a graphic image of your words that you can visualize.

What now? I have my word, my scripture and my picture. I usually put my scripture for the year on my email below my signature. That is a visible reminder to me of what my word is. I post my picture by my desk, too. Next, I pray and wait for God to show me how my word will be manifested in my life. This may happen slowly or rapidly as it depends upon God’s timeline. This year I have immediately seen how God wants me to be diligent in various ways. Our church is doing a read the Bible in a year program and it takes diligence to keep this going. I have various students that I have to diligently teach and persevere with so they can be successful. I see others that are coming up that I will need to walk with diligence alongside. I had a spine injection of cortisone recently and will need to be diligent in exercising. I know God will have other things as my list of what it means to be diligent expands.

Linda

Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”I would encourage you to persevere and seek His guidance for the year ahead. Here are mine- I’m ready to be diligent this year for the Lord!!

Proverbs 8:17 ” I love those who love me,  and those who seek me diligently find me.”

Words for Focus, Memory and Viewing!

I have been praying about my Word for the year and God has given me diligent or diligently. I struggled with this idea even more after I identified my 8-10 related words that helped define what diligent means. They are: tenacity, firmness, grit, resolute, assiduity, determination, perseverance, and stamina. Wow! I was pretty intimidated by this list and what they mean. However, God would not have given me this word unless He has something planned for this year that my character needs to be uplifted in diligence.

My next step was to look for focus scripture or scriptures. The words diligent and diligently are not used that many times in scripture but I found several significant verses that spoke to my heart.

Proverbs 8:17 “I love those who love me,  and those who seek me diligently find me.”

Proverbs 21:5 “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.”

Romans 12:8  if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

1 Timothy 4:15   Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.”

Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

The two that I have highlighted are my chosen verses for the year. I know God has much to teach me but I’ll start with diligence in seeking Him. Hebrews 11:6 has always been a favorite verse of mine and promise from God of being rewarded if I diligently seek Him! It goes well with Proverbs 8:17 too.

The last step in this process is to take your word and the 8-10 others and put them into a program offered for free on http://www.wordart.com You can set up a free account to save your word art, print it out to post near your desk and/or send it to others to encourage them. Here are my 2 efforts at word art

I pray you will be able to make your own and find confirmation in your words. God has a great year ahead for you!!

Linda