Daring to Hope in the Waiting… {2025 Word of the Year Revealed}

Bridging the Old & the New

The message I heard over and over in 2024 was “Do not fear. Be strong and courageous.” You are LOVED! So do not be discouraged by these things happening to you. Keep trusting me… As I reflect on one of the hardest years of my life and look to the future with expectancy, imagine my delight to discover this quote bridging my new #wordoftheyear with the old

God knew the journey of 2024. Nothing surprised Him. Every challenge endured was an answer to prayer. And as Spurgeon so aptly states, I will “retrace the works of His hand” til the day I die.

I typically choose a word mid-November. And then God refines my choosing. This year was no exception. But with each new #wordoftheyear, God grants me a direct line, a life-line, directly tied to His heart. A compass leading me out of the vast darkness and into the light of His love.

The Hope of Every Believer

By definition, Hope is to cherish a desire with anticipation.

The Hebrew word for hope “tiqvah” denotes an expectancy and is derived from the root word “qavah” which means “to wait” on God or “to watch” in eager anticipation. Waiting on God is the HOPE of every believer and is based on the blessed assurance of His faithfulness.

“And we boast in the hope of the glory of God… Because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Romans 2b-5

Jesus is the Hope of the world, friends. Our hope is never misplaced in Him. In Christ, we are being made perfect and are perfectly made.* Conquering death and rising up as a beloved child of God with whom He is “well pleased” is my deepest desire. And I long to be made perfect in Him.

God doesn’t always wrap-up our adversities neatly in a bow at the end of a long, hard season [or at the beginning of each new year]. But God’s desire for His children is to trust and rest in Him. Learning to live in the tension of this reality is my hope and prayer for 2025.

Do you have a word of the year for 2025? As always, I’d love to hear. And if I can ever pray for you specifically throughout the new year, my inbox is always open. Happy New Year, friends. 💕