You decide your way into faith. Slide out of your seat like one in trance as you glide toward the altar of your future.
A 4-step process whereby faith becomes a kind of signing in ceremony you need to learn. But you don’t grasp the enormity yet, high on your cloud of Holy Spirit courage.
You decide to discover more, go to church, meet some nice Christian folk. Your mind and spirit become influenced by reading and hearing God’s word.
It’s a daily decision thereon, taking all that you have to say a continual yes to Him.
How can one decide on a what looks like a whim to follow Jesus?
Your soul speaks: Sensing an answer to all the questions you’ve yet to ask, seeing a Face of fond familiarity, a peaceful Presence and Hands that cradle soft all the brokenness inside your fearful heart.
[bctt tweet=”God stretches out arms of welcome that wrap around the whole world, bringing hope to lost souls.”]
His Love was the draw. Still is. No-one else can offer unconditional love, free forgiveness, mercy and grace.
Those days when weariness seeps in with overwhelm and steals the joy within? I choose to cling harder, keep walking, leaning on Jesus for all I am worth.
[bctt tweet=”I decide to choose life over death, hope over despair, joy over sorrow, beauty for ashes.”]
He listens, sits beside His hurting child, holds her close, dries her tears, gives His strength in my weakness.
And I ache with gratitude because Christ decided to die on a cross, to become sin for us.
I can decide to cut loose or to stay close. But Love bade me welcome and here I remain. Abiding in the Vine, choosing to surrender to Him.
I choose God’s will, His ways, His peace, and rest in His manifold gift of grace.
There’s no better way to live than to decide to know Jesus as Saviour and Lord.
And there’s no better way to spend my weekend than to reconnect with the five-minute-friday writing community over at Kate Motaung’s site. This week’s prompt is: ‘Decide’. You can check out the posts here. I’m blessed as always to also join with Barbie for #WeekendWhispers as we share our God-whispered thoughts.
**I decided and tried to write on Friday but deep-bone weariness wiped me out and focus was lost. Now family have flown the nest for their own abode and my zest for pinning words to a page seems to have returned, thanks be to God! It’s so good to be back with you again.**
Words of Joy 
I love how you ended your post. So much THIS: “His Love was the draw. Still is. No-one else can offer unconditional love, free forgiveness, mercy and grace.” It really is incredible to think about what Christ has done for us by dying on the cross for our sins. I’m in the #7 spot this week.
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Thanks, Tara. I’m glad you could relate to the awesomeness of God’s love for us. And having read your post, I can see you have some major, life changing decisions ahead of you. May God give you all the grace and wisdom you need to take the next step. Bless you, friend.
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We cannot possibly comprehend the enormity of deciding to walk in relationship with God. We are led by his wooing. We are babes taking little steps. While he draws us to himself, he chooses to use us.
Thank you for your words. I am encouraged to think upon the beauty of a relationship with God. Yes, there is no better way to live.
Your FMF neighbor,
Cheryl
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Hi Cheryl. It’s good to meet you. I love the way you describe God’s call to faith in Christ as being “led by His wooing.” It definitely felt like that for me. It’s a relationship rooted and founded in God’s great love. And it is held, sustained, strengthened and maintained by His amazing love and grace. Yes, “there is no better way to live” once we have tasted it! Bless you for stopping by.
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Great words of encouragement.
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Thank you so much for stopping by! I’m glad you found some soul encouragement here. Bless you.
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Joy, beautiful post. You’re so right. The initial decision to follow Jesus has to followed up with those daily choices to keep seeking Him. I love that Jesus woos us. When I really stop to think about it, I’m so humbled that He died for my sin. And this: “And I ache with gratitude because Christ decided to die on a cross, to become sin for us.” Expresses it so well.
I’m so glad you’re writing again, my friend!
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Jeanne, it is a daily choice to “keep seeking Him”, isn’t it? We tend to think God has vanished sometimes but He is always at work behind the scenes, whether we’re conscious of it or not. Our faith gets stretched in the waiting and watching and praying moments as we discover Him in the dark and the silence, as well as in the bright and beautiful shouting aloud of the cross proclaiming His presence. I’m blessed whenever you stop by, my friend. And yes, it does feel good to be exercising my writing muscles again! 🙂 x
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Joy, you wrapped up the Gospel truth so well in this one word–we go in the beginnings on our feelings–that touch from the Holy Spirit drawing us in to Jesus–but it is daily decisions after that which become the building blocks.
Amen and amen.
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Jody, that’s exactly how it was for me. Spirit-led feelings drew me into faith and kept me buoyed up for several months. But it’s daily heart obedience and surrender to God’s ways which help keep us afloat and sustain us on the journey we take. Bless you for adding to the conversation. I appreciate you being here, friend!
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My dear, sweet friend, these metaphoric words that describe you taking up your cross each day, you are such a beautiful example and inspiration. May God bless you and keep you this day and forevermore.
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June, I won’t pretend it’s easy or that I’m always happy to take up my cross on a daily basis. But I’ve discovered that the longer I live, the more God reveals of His goodness and grace. Life’s painful circumstances can trip me up unless I remember how wonderfully He has kept me in the past and continues to do so today. Then my faith and trust grow as I relax in His bountiful care and lean closer to Him. Thank you for your sweet encouragement, lovely friend. You are such a beautiful blessing to me!
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Beautiful and comforting as always, Joy. God shows us such tender love, doesn’t He? This especially jumps out at me – “Those days when weariness seeps in with overwhelm and steals the joy within? I choose to cling harder, keep walking, leaning on Jesus for all I am worth.” Yes, let’s keep on clinging to and leaning on Jesus! Blessings and hugs to you!
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Oh yes, Trudy, God does indeed “show us such tender love”, and we appreciate it all the more when we feel totally undeserving of it. Joining you in the “clinging to and leaning on Jesus” for all we are worth. There’s no safer or more comforting place to be. Blessings and hugs, dear friend. You lift my heart every time I see your butterfly image here. Thank you for being such a supportive part of this community. 🙂 x
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Beautiful words that show all of us what it looks like to decide to follow hard after Jesus. Blessings, love and hugs friend!
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It’s a totally life changing choice, isn’t it, Mary? Yet at the start we are so often simply carried away by our feelings and not fully aware just how hard it can be to live a life of faith. Praise God for His sustaining grace and for providing companions along the way! So thankful to have your company, friend. Blessings and hugs. Xx
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