One Word

Resolutions are not my thing. I figure that I shouldn’t make them if I’m going to break them. (Can you tell that I know myself well?) However I have found another plan that helps to guide my behavior in a positive way without making me feel guilty for falling short of my goals.

Last year my friend Deb told me about how she had each member of her class pick one word for the year. Then my friend Christy had us do a similar exercise at our women's retreat; my word for 2012 became ‘”purpose.” I wanted to have purpose in my words, purpose in my actions and purpose in my life. So when I read two devotionals a week or two ago on the process, I already knew my word--purpose. Surely God would want me to use that one again. It was a good word and I still needed to work on putting it to practice on a daily basis. However, God had different plans for a new word for the new year because immediately upon reading the devotional, the word “security” popped into my mind. 

At first it seemed like a great word and I thought I knew exactly the reason for it. That is until I began to search for a verse to go with it. As I looked for verses with the word security in it, there weren't too many to choose from for my upcoming year. Some had to do with future security and the specific security of Israel, but I wanted to know what it had to do with me. 

I didn't really think that was why God had given me this word, so my search continued. I proceeded to research the word secure to get more input. I found that there were multiple verses that spoke of feeling secure, which seemed to indicate a false security. It led me to evaluate the false arenas where I have placed my security in the past. The feeling of security may have been in people, in a job, in looks, in a talent, in a bank statement, in honors, in situations or circumstances, and yes, even in food, but no matter how promising each of theses things might have seemed, it was only a "feeling" of security and not a true security. In the Old Testament, the prophets warned the people against feeling secure saying that they better watch out. So why had I felt secure in those things? Is it because I thought it was something I could control or something I was comfortable with? I’m not really sure, but I knew that God was trying to let me know that I had been wrong.

As I continued my task of determining why God had given me the word security, I also found that the contrast to feeling secure seemed to be to live secure. Several verses pointed to that concept:

Zechariah 10:12 “I will strengthen them in the Lord and in his name they will live securely,” declares the Lord.

In this verse, God seems to promise that after His people go through hardship, and turn fully to God then they will have security.

Micah 5:4 He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.

And in this one, the security only can be obtained through Jesus, the shepherd.

That seemed to be my answer. I had been trusting the wrong things to help me feel secure, but God doesn’t just want me to feel secure; He wants so much more for me. His desire is for me to live secure; He wants me to know that no matter what is going on around me He is still in control and He has good plans for me and my life even when things might not feel secure from an earthly perspective. When I live secure, the only thing I can do is to look to Him, trusting Him for the future knowing that He will ultimately bring about His good and perfect plan. 

So this year, I think I’ll combine my two words--security and purpose.

What’s your word going to be for 2014? If you want to read more, here is a link to help you get started: http://www.faithgateway.com/what-is-my-one-word/#.UtNNVcu9KSM

My secure purpose is found in this verse:

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.

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