Core Scripture: “As the Scriptures say, ‘I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.’”

Message: My word for the year of 2024 was PURPOSE.  Truth be told, I lacked it the year before, struggling to be intentional and purposeful with the time I was blessed with.  It was a struggle at first, but I slowly learned to embrace God’s purpose for me. 

With my students in Osawatomie, I knew I had to give them my heart, teaching character and holding them to a high expectation.  My purpose shifted in the summer.  I wrote a book for a good friend of mine and began getting ready for my new job, teaching at a private Christian school. 

All seemed to be going well in my new role, but there came a severe misunderstanding in late September.  I was suddenly stripped of my job and forced to find new full-time work.  But where?  I felt like the Lord was trying to tell me something.  I just didn’t know what!

That was when a new word began to take shape: TRUST.  My faith was put to the test.  I went to the Lord in prayer, exposing all my doubts and frustrations.  His response was firm yet loving … Trust Me.  This was blind trust.  Unwavering trust that didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me, but I said those words over and over.

I trust You, Lord!

God showed up immediately.  Two brave souls stepped forward to provide for our family.  A friend and a family member.  Suddenly we were financially able to pay that month’s bills with money to spare.  God likewise provided me a full-time job at Amazon working in the warehouse.  My last paycheck from my previous job came on October 31.  I started at Amazon on October 27. 

Rising at midnight was not easy.  Stowing packages for hours upon hours was physically taxing.  Yet as I wiped the sleep from my eyes and persevered through, I heard the Lord’s voice again … Trust Me.  So, I did.  I put my heart into my work, learning a new trade.  I made friends and became an encouraging leader.  And now as we dive into the new year, I continue hearing God’s command as He applauds me, surrounding me with His peace …

TRUST ME! 

It sounds odd at first.  Trust God when He puts you in a job completely foreign to you?  Trust God when your heart was wounded so deeply by those you thought had your back?  Trust God when it is so much easier to complain about the physically taxing work on my 48-year-old body?  Nobody ever said trust was easy.

I began to reflect.  God has been beside me my entire life, and He has never failed.  He works everything for His good (Romans 8:28).  When I fought to keep my job after my first year of teaching, He provided me an even better job, utilizing my skills and gifts.  When I cried helplessly knowing my brother was critically injured in Iraq, God provided the opportunity for Curt to heal and attend my wedding in a wheel chair. 

You ask how I could trust God; I ask the question of how could I NOT! 

There are so many questions in my head as I begin the new year, but they all boil down to trust.  My son’s life verse says it plainly: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6). 

Applying that truth is not easy, but it grows me closer to Him.  How so?

• Hey, Clint, you are becoming a leader at Amazon and a true light for Me.  Can you trust Me with your job?
• Hey, Clint, your boys are starting to push back against you as teenagers, but you are holding steadfast.  Will you trust Me that I will put you in situations to minister to them?
• Hey, Clint, I see you not giving up on your marriage and putting your heart into being a better husband.  I just ask that you trust Me more because I have big plans for you and your wife.
• Hey, Clint, I know you love to write and that you are embracing the talent I have given you.  I want you to trust that I will give you opportunities to put that talent on display.
• Hey, Clint, I heard your prayer that you miss teaching.  Can’t you see that you are building new relationships at Amazon, teaching others how to respond to life in a Christlike manner?  Trust me!

Is it any surprise that my word for 2025 is TRUST?  It is time to evaluate your own life.  What word is on your heart?  What area of need will grow you closer to the Lord?  Where do you need to push yourself?  Maybe your word is joy because you need to find it.  Or maybe your word is empathy because you need to share others’ struggles more sincerely.  Whatever your word may be, I would love to hear it! 

Reply below and tell us what word you have picked.  Pray about it first.  Journal about it.  Talk your word over with a Christian friend.  Write some goals down.  Embrace the word in every area of your life, holding yourself accountable to those goals. 

Friends, I wish you all the best as we forge into the new year!  Make a difference wherever the Lord plants you.  Allow Him to inject fresh hope into your life.  Love on others.  Continue fighting the good fight.  Keep fresh hope alive.  “And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Colossians 3:14).

Challenge: Discover your word for 2025 and share it in a reply below.  Give me one sentence explaining your rationale in why you picked that word.  Then go out and live it!

Bible study: Pick any of these biblical characters and answer the following questions about them …

1. Abraham: How did Abraham’s obedience in being willing to sacrifice his son grow his trust in God? (Genesis 11-25)
2. Job: How did Job’s trust in God grow through difficult dialogue with his creator? (Job 1-42)
3. Joseph: How did Joseph keep his faith in God through misunderstandings in his life? (Genesis 37-50)
4. Esther: How did Esther’s trust in God help her overcome her adversaries? (Esther 1-10)
5. Paul: How did Paul’s faith in God grow through the book of Acts? (Acts 9-28)

Just for fun: Ever get stopped at a train track?  I dare you to get out of your car, strut around it clucking like a chicken, and then get back in like nothing happened.  My son did that once.  Totally shameless.  An older couple rolled down their window and told him that was the funniest thing they had seen all day and that they needed a laugh. 

Prayer: Lord, guide us to live out our words of the year for Your glory, not our own.  May our stories reflect your goodness and love.  Amen.