Decision Making

A couple of weeks ago, our Lord gave me a song as soon as I awakened. It was Christopher Cross’ Sailing, produced by Stormie O’Martian’s husband, Michael, over four decades ago.

This song has special meaning to my heart.

To this day, it reminds me of my countless escapes to the city dock in Historic Annapolis, during some stressful teen and young adult years.

Sometimes, God will bring a remembrance of beauty to encourage us where we are now and for the narrow passage through which we are about to navigate before the blessed expanse. He will bring flashbacks to remind us how He revealed Himself then and that what He did for us long ago, He will do again.

All of this is to awaken us to His grace-power for a moment in time, as He brings to pass the desires He put in our hearts. The way we perceive it will determine how well we will receive it—Him and His offerings as our best blessings throughout the journey.

Holy Spirit is setting us up for victory right now by giving us a heads-up and inviting us to align our wills and perspectives with His. The way we think and process His will determines the quality of our experiences.

The day before I heard Sailing in the Spirit, our Lord also revealed the numbers 444 and 555 to me, as well as the title of this devotion in a Word-vision. I experienced a supernatural joy that God is about to break open doors of opportunity that are favorable by His grace. And within two days, He confirmed it four times.

These favorable opportunities will require wise decision-making. And the best wisdom to make the best decisions comes from on high. We need to consult The Decision Maker who knows everything and willingly reveals the wisdom we need in advance for the best possible outcome (Ja 1:5).

He highlighted Luke 11:9-10 TPT, which says, “So it is with your prayers. Ask and you’ll receive. Seek and you’ll discover. Knock on heaven’s door, and it will one day open for you. Every persistent person will receive what he asks for. Every persistent seeker will discover what he needs. And everyone who knocks persistently will one day find an open door.”

I believe Holy Spirit is revealing that for many, their “one day” is right before them; and He is reminding them to walk closely with Him to make righteous, destiny-fulfilling decisions.

This is not a time to lean on our own understanding any step of the way, because God is doing a new thing. Therefore, we must seek Him to enter into the new He has for us, lest we drift off course and cause delay.

Holy Spirit revealed to me that the winds are favorable to guide us and empower us in the direction of His righteousness along His course as we enter in. No storm will stand against these winds, because He is the dominant wind in this voyage.

“It will be good,” says The Lord of Hosts. Even in the journey, we can experience His constant goodness.

In the past, where we may have felt tossed to and fro as we have ventured out with Him, it will be different this time because He has restored us deeply. He has built us for what’s just before us and we will succeed. We will have a fresh perspective, and we will see our manifest restoration of youth like the eagle’s.

We will experience an updraft in the best way.

I remember many years ago, when I lived on an island, just off the coast of Annapolis, I would drive across the Chesapeake Bay bridge and see seagulls float on the updraft above the rails.

God is making our way light and His boundaries are good. He is making a way for us to go over this time—to see above, fly over and experience smooth sailing as we choose Him and His wisdom throughout the transitions, the connections and the new places we are crossing into.

We don’t have to worry whether we’re doing enough. We can enjoy the preparation He did beforehand and His constant grace at work on our behalves as He breathes on us forward.

I never knew Christopher Cross was inspired to write Sailing as he ventured out with a friend during his teen years to escape hardship until I researched it for this devotion. This song is more anointed than I realized when I first heard it. Now I know why I was so drawn to it decades ago. It makes me grateful for new eyes through which to find God in the midst and align with Him to live more in His liberty.

These are the passages from Christopher Cross’ song that speak to me most:

Believe me.

Sailing takes me away to where I’ve always heard it could be.

Just a dream and the wind to carry me.

And soon I will be free.

Won’t you believe me?

Ironically (and prophetically), just four months before this song was released, Christopher’s song, Ride Like the Wind was released. And four years after Sailing was released, his song, Words of Wisdom was released. (Yes, we receive more wisdom on the backend, too.)

Sailing received three Grammy awards for “Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Arrangement of the Year” (Wikipedia.com). This helped Christopher Cross win the Best New Artist award and other accolades. It even broke open a new genre of music (yacht rock).

Pray with me if you will…

Dear Lord,

Thank You for being The Wind in our sails. We say yes to Your invitation to help us navigate Your processes into greater liberty. Help us to receive and walk in Your wisdom. Help us see as You do and receive all You have for us. Blow on our canvas and take us where You desire we be. Thank You for Your favorable wind and for You as our most beautiful blessing. May it all be according to Your will.

In Jesus’ Mighty Name,

Amen.

This devo was graciously re-posted by the Salem Web Network, which includes iBelieve.com.

Decision Making

God is our Savior in all things, even in our time. He is our Time-Saver. He redeems time, bringing His strength and beauty of efficiency into our divine purposes and assignments.

We need His perspective, so we can cooperate with Him in righteous decision making.

God has ultimate solutions for us that bring victory in His promises to us. His perfect solutions invite us to trust Him, submit to His ways above our own, build our faith and impact other peoples’ lives.

Godly decision making is purposed to know Him more, make Him known more and release our divine destiny in the process. In this, God will work out our victory-salvation, helping us to walk out His redemption for our lives here on earth.

As we remain close to Him, we cannot lose.

Hearing from God, patiently trusting Him and acting out of His wisdom are necessary for making right decisions (Pr 21:5, 28:25 TPT).

Proverbs 2:6-9 TPT tell us that “Wisdom is a gift from a generous God, and every word he speaks is full of revelation and becomes a fountain of understanding within you. For the Lord has a hidden storehouse of wisdom made accessible to his godly ones. He becomes your personal bodyguard as you follow his ways, protecting and guarding you as you choose what is right. Then you will discover all that is just, proper, and fair, and be empowered to make the right decisions as you walk into your destiny.”

Whole-hearted obedience is another key factor.

Joshua had many decisions to make as he and his troops warred to take dominion in the Promised Land. He had to take courage and hear unique strategies from God for each battle. He couldn’t lean on his own understanding (Pr 3:5). He had to hear from God and trust His perfect faithfulness implicitly each step of the way.

Just like God provided daily manna for the Israelites in the dessert, that was good only for a single day, so too was Joshua dependent upon God for daily life in resistant territory. Life was extended to him (and his troops) as he listened and carefully obeyed. In this, God developed great trust of heart and courage in Joshua as His prime leader.

Likewise, God offers us newness of life as we progress with Him, even as He prunes dead things from us that were once good in past seasons but that will not serve us well forward.

When we do it God’s way, and give Him our dis-appointments, He gives us His divine appointments.

Proverbs 28:25 TPT tells us “To make rash, hasty decisions shows that you are not trusting the Lord. But when you rely totally on God, you will still act carefully and prudently.”

Avoiding mistakes can save us time, pain and even life at the outset (Josh 7).

Proverbs 21:5 TPT says that “Brilliant ideas pay off and bring you prosperity, but making hasty, impatient decisions will only lead to financial loss.”

Still, even in this, God can use our hard-learned lessons to reveal His truth, develop us in character and give us a mercy-testimony of His goodness when we circle back to Him.

His grace is enough (Ja 1:5 TPT).

Here are some points to consider as we make Godly decisions forward in this new season:

Prioritize God as most valuable and honorable in regards to heart, time and task.

Keep hope anchored in Him as a firm foundation.

Intentionally choose to operate in faith, not fear.

Ask Him to reveal His timeline and way in specific assignments and tasks.

Yes, count the costs of decisions, which can help bring clarity, be conscious to not over analyze.

Pray unceasingly and follow His lead daily, even if it doesn’t make sense to us.

Expect God’s best, even if it comes in ways and through people we don’t expect.

When we make decisions God’s way, we will surely walk in victory. We will break through to another level when we trust God and receive and act on His invitation to come up higher with Him.

Pray with me if you will…

Dear Lord,

Thank You for drawing my heart “into understanding” as I listen to You (Pr 23:19 TPT).

“Teach me how to make good decisions, and give me revelation-light, for I believe in your commands” (Ps 119:66 TPT).

Thank You for growing me in Your wisdom that empowers me “to make right decisions” (Pr 23:19 TPT).

Help me to honor You in all my decision making, as I “constantly seek” Your kingdom and righteousness (Ma 6:33).

Thank You for giving me all I need (Ma 6:33).

In Jesus’ Mighty Name,

Amen.

This video-devo was graciously re-posted by the Salem Web Network, which includes iBelieve.com.