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

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                         Abide In My Presence

Child of Mine, I am calling you to live and abide in My presence. But
do you truly understand what that means? I am a Holy God, and you must 
also be holy to inhabit My nearness. That means that the closer you
draw to Me, the more I am going to cleanse and purify you, so that you 
may come before My throne and draw even closer to Me. I must take you 
through a process of purification, so that you might reside in that 
place of deep intimacy that I desire for the two of us to share together. 

I am light and truth, and you cannot draw near to Me without entering 
into My light. Precious child, when you come to Me, My light will shine
upon you to reveal all that is in your heart. Yes, it will shine into 
your darkness and show all that is hidden there, causing things that 
you would rather keep hidden will be rise up to surface: impurities, 
mistakes, fears, wrong motives and even the fresh pain of past hurts. 

My truth will force you to look at them and to deal with them. You 
cannot draw close to Me while you are carrying these things and expect 
to keep them hidden. No, you cannot bring such things to a holy God 
without being asked to lay them on My altar. But as you offer them to
Me, I will send My holy fire to consume them. Yes, I will remove them 
from you so that you might become holy and pure in My presence.

I don't do this all at once or it would destroy you. I take you through 
a process of cleansing and purification. This process may feel very 
much like I am tearing you to pieces--and in a sense I am, for at times 
I must rip away the dark things that impede you and cause you harm. I 
must take away from you the darkness and things that hinder you from 
coming into My light so that you might abide there. But I don't do this 
to harm you, nor do I act out of anger about what I find hidden in you. 
No, dear one, I refine you so that you can enter into My very presence, 
so that you can abide in My love.

Don't be afraid of Me in these times, for My intent is not to destroy
you but to restore you. I know you will feel very dirty and very small
as the darkness within you is brought into My light. But do not be 
afraid to come to Me at these times, for I will not push you away. Yes, 
dear one, run to Me in your pain and suffering so that I might bind up 
your wounds and restore you.

I want you to truly come alive in Me. My desire was never to tear you 
into pieces, but to heal you. My desire is not to injure you, but to 
bind up your wounds. Yes, the sin in your life will indeed cause you 
wounds as you enter into My holiness, for sin cannot stand before Me. 
But I will not allow it to destroy you--instead I will remove it from 
you so that you can stand holy before Me in My very presence. 

Do not be afraid to come to Me, little one, and allow Me to heal you 
and bind up every one of your wounds. I will do this for you because I 
love you; because I want you to live and abide in My presence.

    "Come, let us return to the Lord. He has torn us to pieces but 
    He will heal us; He has injured us but He will bind up our wounds.
    After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will restore
    us, that we may live in His presence." -- Hosea 6:1-2