I woke up this morning feeling wooed. That word has been echoing in my heart, and it’s exactly what Job 36:16 says:

The Hebrew word here is סוּת (sut), which means to incite, entice, or draw out. The image is not of God forcing or driving us, but of Him gently, persistently pulling us out of trouble and into freedom. He woos us—away from the jaws of distress and toward a wide-open place of life.

Wooed Through the Fire

This connects deeply with the image of fire, dross, and refining. When silver or gold is heated, the impurities rise and are removed as dross. leaving what is pure. Sometimes all we see is the soot and dross—the blackened remains of what was burned away. But those ashes testify that the Holy Spirit’s refining fire has passed through.

To be wooed is to be invited into that process: God is not scolding or condemning us; He is drawing us, lovingly, into the fire that purifies. What feels like burning is actually refining, preparing us for what remains.

Where Else Does God Woo Us?

This idea of God “wooing” or “drawing out” is found throughout Scripture:

Hosea 2:14 — “Therefore, I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her.” (Here the verb is פָּתָה, patah—to entice, allure. Another wooing word.)

Jeremiah 31:3 — “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn (mashak) you with unfailing kindness.”

Psalm 18:19 — “He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me.”

Song of Solomon 1:4 — “Draw me after you; let us run.” John 6:44 — “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them…”

Revelation 3:20 — “Behold, I stand at the door and knock…”

Each of these passages echoes the same heartbeat: God draws us, not by compulsion but by love.

Why I Feel Wooed

This morning, I felt overtly wooed. Not the heavy hand of judgment, but the gentle pull of love. He is drawing me out of what confines, away from the soot (sut #ISWYDT) and the dross, and into His spacious place.

The cross sanctifies me, and the Word—“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17)—reminds me that sanctification is both fire and “water-wooing”.

Holy fire removes the dross and Holy Water woos us into His cleansing. The Spirit does both, perfectly.

I want to let myself be drawn into deeper waters with Him. Somewhere in My God Room, I have written it’s always safe to snorkel with Jesus.

I will find that old post another time. I will also share about today’s service, message and more on a separate post. Given the message and how I was nudged singing The Old Rugged Cross, it deserves a separate post.

Oh, sweet Jesus, how I love you. Help me love you better each day. Thank you for reminding me how to find this old post from August 7, 2016. More than nine years ago, you planted this vividly on my heart and entrenched it into the spirit you have given me. I love you.