My One Word: Be

Just like any other year, a couple of weeks before the end of the year I start thinking about, watching for, and praying about my one word for the year or my word of the year. And this year, about a week before the end of the year I had mine, Delight. And then at the last minute, two days before to be exact, God changed it!

My one word for 2020 never made the short or long list, it literally came out of nowhere. But once it hit, it hit hard…I cried. I knew this was my word even before various scripture verses started coming to mind. And almost immediately after my word hit, a song hit as well.

Here are the lyrics:
Well God, be my vision, be my holy truth
Yeah, I’ll be the branches if You’ll be the root
I’d give all my freedom, I’d become a slave
To lay on Your shore and be washed by Your waves
To lay on Your shore and be washed by Your waves
I don’t care for riches nor man’s empty praise
‘Cause You’re all I want, for all of my days
I’d give all my money, I’d throw it away
To stand in Your presence, and feel the light of Your face
To stand in Your presence, and feel the light of Your face
‘Cause all I want is You, You know
‘Cause through the joy of letting go
Yeah, I’ve found my peace, I’ve found my hope, I’ve found my home
Yeah, all I want is You, You know
‘Cause through the joy of letting go
Yeah, I’ve found my peace, I’ve found my hope, I’ve found my home
God, be my treasure, Lord be my reward
Be my Holy Jesus, what I’m fighting for
I’d give all my hist’ry just to stand at Your door
To knock and hear, “Enter, you’re an orphan no more”
To knock and hear, “Enter, you’re an orphan no more”
‘Cause all I want is You, You know
‘Cause through the joy of letting go
Yeah, I’ve found my peace, I’ve found my hope, I’ve found my home
Yeah, all I want is You, You know
‘Cause through the joy of letting go
Yeah, I’ve found my peace, I’ve found my hope, I’ve found my home
Yeah, I’ve found my peace, I’ve found my hope, I’ve found my home
Yeah, I’ve found my peace, I’ve found my hope, I’ve found my home
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Chris Renzema
God Be lyrics © Centricity Songs

Any idea what my one word for 2020 is yet?

Let’s start reading some scriptures that contain my one word.

Psalm 46:10
Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.

1 Thessalonians 5:16, 18
Always be joyful.

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 4:2
Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.

Isaiah 53:5
But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.

Joshua 1:9
This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

2 Corinthians 5:21
For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

Ephesians 4:29
Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

Psalm 27:14
Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.

Romans 12:12
Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.

Ephesians 6:10
A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

Philippians 4:4
Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!

Ephesians 4:32
Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Romans 10:9
If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Hebrews 13:5
Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”

Ephesians 6:18
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

James 1:19
Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.

Ephesians 3:19
May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

1 Peter 5:9
Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.

Colossians 3:15
And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

1 Timothy 4:12
Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.

Matthew 28:20
Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

James 5:16
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

James 1:6
But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.

Acts 1:8
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Romans 12:13
When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

Romans 12:1,3
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.

Leviticus 26:12
I will walk among you; I will be your God, and you will be my people.

2 Chronicles 15:7
But as for you, be strong and courageous, for your work will be rewarded.

1 Thessalonians 5:6
So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded.

2 Timothy 2:24
A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people.

Any ideas yet on my one word?

Let me tell you a couple of things about this word before its grand reveal. First, it’s extremely flexible and can fit almost any and all situations and circumstances. Second, I just listed the Bible verses that were in the positive or affirmative, there are many ways and instances this word can be used in the negative (so to speak).

My One Word: Be

One of my favorite things to do to help me gain a better understanding of a word is to look up synonyms of the word, even more so than looking up the definition. So let me share some of the synonyms of be: (exist) abide, act, breathe, continue, do, endure, hold, inhabit, last, live, move, obtain, persist, prevail, remain, rest, stand, stay, survive, dwell, hold.

And one more thing, in the Hebrew, my one word “Be” is “Hayah” meaning “to be.” Do you know how some people say “Kapow!” to be funny? Well, we say “Hiyah!” I love how God can connect al the dots in mysterious and honestly, funny ways! 

My plan is to write more frequently on my one word for the year…well, and considering how much or little I’ve written in the last year, to write more in general, but especially share what I’m learning and how my one word is taking shape or shaping me over the coming year.

Have you chosen a word for the year? If you have, I’d love for you to share down in the comments.