My Word of the Year? Hope!

Sandi shares her Word of the Year for 2016 and why she chose the word she did.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

Each year I accept a new word from the Lord. It is similar to a New Year’s resolution, and each Fall I begin searching my heart for a new word that I feel like God has for me to learn from. A word whose meaning seems to be missing in my life. A word to study, collect verses on, and pray over.

This year the word is hope.

Last year was a hard year! No, I will not drag out all of the details, but just know that my health has worsened, finances were a problem, and I just became weary and fatigued. Normal everyday things became so complicated because my arms are growing as disabled as my legs! And It is very painful to try to maneuver my chair around the house, because it is not a power chair.

The pain, fatigue, and frustration just caused my spiritual heart to become cold. So my Word this year is hope!. Hope just sounds joyful doesn’t it? It lifts my head and my heart! joy has been my word many times until I just went ahead and graduated it to becoming my life word. I think God is trying to tell me something . . .don’t you?

Listen closely, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace . . .” There is my joy word.

“as you trust Him . . .” so I have to shake my self off and get involved here, actively trusting Him.

“so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” I want that!

Webster’s New World Dictionary describes hope as ” a feeling that what is wanted will happen.” Maybe we should say trusting that what is wanted will happen? I think so. I hope so!

Has it been a hard year for you? Let’s hope together, shall we? And let’s find that joy and peace as we trust Him.

Our verse in the Amplified Bible really brings an interesting light, “May the God of hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing through the experience of your faith that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope.”

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I trust You. I do. Please soften my tired heart, and fill me with Your joy and peace. Make it new again. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

About the Author:
Sandra Platt has been married to her best friend for 33 years! She is a Pastors wife and mother of two cool adult kids. She has been on the writing team at Rest Ministries since 2006, and has been blessed by the friendships and fellowship. She has had Fibromyalgia for 27 years and now has many other health issues related to her Autoimmune Peripheral Neuropathy. Her prayer as she writes is this; “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.”

Have you ever chosen a Word of the Year? Share below what your word is this year, or if you do not yet have one, share your brainstorms.

As I schedule this post I cannot find the energy to search for that perfect song. I have had a hard weekend due to the storms (causing flares) and post-infusion side effects and have spent most of it in bed. I know you understand. Please know I am praying about my “word” of the year. Last year I kept hearing God say “wait.” So I kept waiting for the word. By April, I realized my word was “wait” itself… and as 2016 is here, I feel like I am being told still to just wait… Thank you for your prayers for Rest Ministries, one another, and myself and my family. -Lisa

You can find nearly 300 videos we have posted in the past here at Rest Ministries on our Pinterest board here, Videos That Offer Hope