This word is submitted by Teresa Seputis [ts@godspeak.net]

-----

                            Remember

Child of Mine, there are times when you forget Who I am and what I have
done for you.  In those times, you look at your failures and inadequacies
and assume that I must be mad at you.  You temporarily forget that the
blood of My dear Son breaks the power of sin and death over you; it washes
you clean and presents you holy and pure before Me.  When you forget these
things, you begin to assume that I feel differently towards you than I
really do, and you often impose periods of separation because us for fear
that I am displeased with you.

When you do that, you act as if the sacrifice of My dear Son is null and
void on your behalf. Without meaning to, you show contempt for all that
He suffered for you. Yet it is because of what He did for you on Calvary
that I am able to receive you in the midst of your shortcomings and
failures.  I do not want to push you away nor do I want you to separate
yourself from Me.  Instead I want you to run back to Me and allow Me to
restore you.

Yes, there will be times when you fall short.  In those times, I want you
to remember Who I am and what My character is.  I am a loving Father, and
I am good to My own.  The blood of My own dear Son has made a way for you
to come to Me and stand before Me and be adopted into My family. It will
not fail you and I will not push you away.

Remember what I did for My servant David. He sinned greatly before Me,
committing murder and adultry. Because of that sin, he felt that he had
moved far away from Me. Yet I came to him via one of My prophets, I sought
him out.  I did not come to destroy him, but to restore him.  Look at how
I speak of David in My word: I do not call him a sinner or a murderer or
an adulterer, I call him My friend and a man after My own heart.  That 
is proof to you that I did not hold his sin and shortcoming against Him 
when he repented before Me.   And I won't hold yours against you when you 
run back to Me with all of your heart.  My forgiveness is complete and it 
breathes life and destiny back into My own.  There does not need to be 
any periods of separation between us when you fall short.

If you knew who I really was, you would know that I see the heart in the
midst of the shortcomings. I do not condemn My own, I restore them and I
strengthen them so that the might sin no more. I do not push them away,
I draw them closer to Myself.

My truth is simple. My Son died for your sins and through Him you have
eternal life and fellowship with Me. This truth does not just cover the
wrongs you did before you knew Me, it covers every aspect of your life--
past, present and future.  When you sin or fall short, the devil will
come in with the voice of condemnation an try to separate you from Me.
Do not believe his lies.  Stand in faith, remembering who I am and all
that My Son has done for you.  Do not allow yourself to become separated
from Me, for I will not push you away.

If you run from Me in the midst of your inadequacies, then they will
overtake you and overcome you, and you will be bound by them. But if you
run to Me, then I will help you overcome them.

Child, the separation comes when you forget Who I am and what I am really
like.  I am your loving heavenly Father; I have adopted you into My family
and made you one of My own. I am love, and I am capable of loving you
even when you fall short. I am also truth, and I will not allow you to
stand in darkness, lies and deception. I am also Holy and I will not
allow you to stand in sin; I will deliver you from it's power.

If you run to My love in the midst of your inadequacy, then you will
surely experience My great love for you. You will know the power of the
Blood of My Son to forgive you. You will know My light, for I will shine
on you with My radiance and remove the darkness from you.  I will
empower you to overcome the areas of inadequacy in your life through My
resurrection power, I will make you an overcoming one who stands
victoriously by My side.

So do not run from Me when you feel dirty and inadequate.  Instead remember
who I am and run to Me.