One word can change a life. Forgiven. Loved. Free. Just to name a few. But having “one word” to focus on for the year is more than a popular trend; it can also lead to our transformation.

A few weeks ago, I began to seek God about His “one word” for me. At first, nothing came. I cleared my mind of the words I wanted.  “Productive,” “Leaner” and “Wisdom” floated around the room.

Then I listened for God to clear His throat and make a grand announcement.

Silence lingered.

But “nothing” is like a microphone in the hands of the Almighty. After all, He spoke into an empty existence and created the seen and unseen things.

As I continued to seek Him, I was drawn to the first two verses in the Bible:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. – Genesis 1:1-2 NLT

I sensed Him hover over me. My search fast-forwarded to the last verse of the last book:

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s holy people.” – Revelation 22:21 NLT

Amen. Starting with nothing and ending in grace describes my faith journey for sure. But I also saw the first and last verses as bookends to every God-breathed Word in between.

Each principle guides. Every promise and prophesy has been or will be fulfilled. It’s just a matter of time. From Genesis to Revelation there is an undeniable miraculous momentum. And then my one-word appeared.

Momentum.

It rose with the warmest of invitations: Are you willing to trust God?

Momentum - the strength or force that something has when it is moving; the strength or force that allows something to continue or to grow stronger or faster as time passes.

How far would we go in God’s plan, if we knew momentum was on our side?  This is my year to find out.  It could be your year too.

I’m grateful for this word. And yet, it strikes a curious chord in me. The answers come slowly, exuding a quiet confidence. The more I meditate on what momentum means, the more I’m convinced:

In Christ, there is a redemptive gust behind me.  Any sin in the past moment or past years is completely forgiven by His grace. (Ephesians 1:7)

There is a holy resuscitation within me. Any time my soul suffers from life’s situations, I’m revived by His truth. (Psalm 119:49-50)

There is a resurrection whirlwind in front of me. Any obstacle on His path, whether it’s a foe or my fear, is defeated by His power. (Colossians 1:9-15)

That’s some momentum. You may or may not have “one word” but I’m praying you’ll know these truths.

The grace wind at our back is fierce. It comes as we walk with God. It takes us where He wants us to be.

And the more we yield to His glory, we become “stronger or faster as time passes” so others can experience Him too.

I asked God for a word but I didn’t ask for this word. He knows why I need it. He also knew I’d share it with you. Because when life hits us hard or we’re trying to hold onto His promises, we need to know momentum is on our side. We need to remember God is on our side.