Decision Making
By Margaret D. Mitchell
Week of November 27, 2022
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 hard 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 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 process.
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 that we think and process His will determines the quality of our experience.
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. 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 (James 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 that He is reminding them to walk closely with Him to make righteous, destiny 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 will 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 eagles.
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 that 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 that 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 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.
Margaret D. Mitchell is the Founder of God's Love at Work, a marketplace outreach purposed to share God's greatest power source - the love of Christ.
