TRUST -- my word for 2025

Lovely graphic from Abby at Little Birdie Blessings

Yes, "trust" is my word for 2025.  It seems like such a basic word, such a foundational word, part of Christian Living 101.  Yet it's indisputably the word that God impressed upon me for this year.

I knew, well before the end of 2024, that "trust" should be my word.  It has taken me this long to pull together my thoughts about it.  So ... 

Partway through 2024 I began to notice something rather disconcerting about myself.  I'm not sure if it had to do with aging or something else, but I noticed that I seemingly wanted to avoid situations that could potentially cause me discomfort or difficulty.  (I'm sure that's fairly normal for most of us!)  But I'm talking about avoidance to a greater degree, such as not wanting to do a certain thing, go to a certain event, or even seeking to manipulate circumstances in such a way that I wouldn't have to face whatever was concerning me.  I finally recognized this as a pattern ... and a problem.  

 

For Sunday School, the last few months we have been going through Jim Berg's series on Quieting a Noisy Soul.  And I recognized what I had been doing as a kind of self-protection.  Shielding myself from things that could hurt me.  Surely, that is not my job, but God's!

 

🌲 I went to my prayer journal and added "an unwavering trust in God" as the most important character quality I want to work on.

 

🌲 I then went to the section of my prayer journal where I keep my pages regarding character flaws and sin issues.   I first made a page titled "Lack of trust".  (With each of the pages in this section, I list out verses that will help me to see why the particular issue is a problem biblically, and also verses that will help me to move forward and do right.  Below is a scan of one of my pages:

 

 So the verses I listed out for my "lack of trust" page were as follows:

"And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; for You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You."  (Psalm 9:10)

"The fear of man bringeth a snare; but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe."  (Proverbs 29:25)

"The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knoweth those who trust in Him."  (Nahum 1:7)

"Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of His servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light?  Let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God."  (Isaiah 50:10)

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths."  (Proverbs 3:5-6)

 

"The LORD redeemeth the soul of His servants; and none of them who trust in Him shall be desolate."  (Psalm 34:22)

 

"Be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God ..." (1 Timothy 6:17)

 

"What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.  In God will I praise His Word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me."  (Psalm 56:3-4)

🌲 A note from the Scofield study Bible concerning "trust" reads: "Trust is the characteristic Old Testament word for the New Testament 'faith' and 'believe'.  It occurs 152 times in the Old Testament, and is the rendering of Hebrew words signifiying 'to take refuge' (Ruth 2:12); 'to lean on' ((Psalm 56:3); 'to roll on' (Psalm 22:8); 'to wait for' (Job 35:14)."

I thought it would be helpful to look at those Scripture references, so here they are:

* "The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust."  (Ruth 2:12 -- where trust signifies to take refuge)

* "What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee."  (Psalm 56:3 -- where trust signifies to lean on) 

* "He trusted in the LORD that He would deliver Him: let Him deliver Him, seeing He delighted in Him."  (Psalm 22:8 -- where trust signifies to roll on; He rolled Himself on Him)

"Although thou sayest thou shalt not see Him, yet judgment is before Him; therefore trust thou in Him."  (Job 35:14 -- where trust signifies to wait for)

🌲 For good measure, I made another character flaw/sin issue page for my prayer journal, this one titled "Tendency to want to manipulate circumstances."  I found this tendency in myself quite alarming, as I have never considered myself to be a manipulative person.  But in recent months I have noticed a desire or wish to manipulate circumstances or outcomes, as mentioned earlier.  Below, the verses I chose for this page:

"Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God."  (2 Corinthians 3:5)

"O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps."  (Jeremiah 10:23)

"Man's goings are of the LORD: how can a man, then, understand his own way?"  (Proverbs 20:24)

"The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me; Thy mercy, O LORD, endureth forever; forsake not the works of Thine own hands."  (Psalm 138:8)

"Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and he shall bring it to pass."  (Psalm 37:5)

🌲 As I do whenever I settle on a word for the year, I will be making a Pinterest board for the word "trust" where I'll place all sorts of helps and good reads to help me in my application and following through. 

And that's it for my word this year!  I always want to emphasize that choosing a word for the year is completely optional and up to the individual.  It doesn't make one any more or less spiritual; for me, it's just another help to greater personal growth, something that works for me.

If you do choose a word, though, I would love to hear!