---[ Word Index ]--- [ Previous Word ]--- [ Next Word ]---
Date: Feb 5, 2007

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

-----

                                 Quickly

Child of Mine, I want you to know Me better, and I want you to grow closer
to Me. I don't want anything to be able to separate us or drive a wedge
between us. Too many of My children shy away from Me when they think that
I might be displeased or disappointed with them. I want you to grow to the
point in Me where you don't do that. I want you to be one who walks close
to Me at all times. It is easy to draw close to Me when you sense My
pleasure upon you; but I want you to mature to the point where you run
quickly to Me even when you have done something wrong.

Don't misunderstand what I am about to say: I don't want you to fall 
into sin, but when you do sin, I want you to repent quickly and return
immediately to Me. I want you to know My goodness and My faithfulness
and My mercy and My grace so completely that you feel safe to run to Me
in the very midst of your sin, that you might be cleansed from it.

I love you so much that I will reach out to convict you, even at times
when you are in the very act of sin or rebellion. I do not convict out
of anger, but in order to turn you back to Myself. So don't be afraid to
return to Me in those times, for I desire to draw you close, and the 
blood of My Son defeats the power of sin to separate you from Me.

I would prefer that you stay clean and holy before Me. But when you fall,
I don't want your failure to become an excuse to separate yourself from
Me. My desire is that you turn from your filth mid-stream (even in the
midst of the very act of rebellion) and run back to Me without stopping to
try to clean yourself off. I will receive you as you are, and I will wash
and cleanse you with the blood of My Son. I will dress you in white robes
of righteousness, and you will not be separated from Me.

At times I may allow you to bear the natural consequences of your sin, 
but even then I will walk beside you and fill you with My strength. I 
will not shun you when you come to Me with a repentant heart; I will not 
push you away.

The enemy of your soul will come at you with condemnation, and he will do
all that he can to prevent you from drawing close to Me. Remember what I
have said in My word--that condemnation has no more power over you.* The
death and resurrection of My Son have broken the power of sin to separate
you from Me. When you run back to Me, I will cleanse and purify you.

Do not fail to come back to Me because you are afraid that I am going to
chastise you, for the ones whom I chastise are those who are rebelling
against Me. When you run back to Me, you step into a place of submission.
Yes, I may require certain things of you: I may require changes in your
behavior, or I may require you to go back and make restitution to someone
whom you have wronged. But I will strengthen and empower you to do all
that I require of you, and I will teach you to walk in victory so that
sin might not have any future power over you.

I am not a God of wrath to those who truly repent before Me, to those who
are willing to come to Me on My terms. I am a God of mercy and grace and
forgiveness and restoration to those who have submissive hearts before Me.
I would rather restore you than punish you for those times where you fail
Me; that is why I want you to run back to Me quickly and receive My love
and My embrace.

It takes a certain measure of maturity to trust Me to be good to you 
just after you have fallen into sin. Many of My children do not know Me 
as well as they should, so they cringe at the thought of drawing near to
a holy God while the stench of sin is fresh upon them. That is because
they don't really believe that the blood of My Son instantly washes them
clean so that they can stand pure and holy before Me--that happens as
soon as they repent and return to Me. They assume that a self-imposed
time of separation will somehow clean them up, and they don't realize
that apart from the blood of My Son, nothing can cleanse them.

I would rather that you do not sin; but when you do fall, I would rather
have you run back to Me quickly than have you separate yourself from Me.
That is why I am asking you to grow in Me and step into a new level of
maturity that does not allow sin or condemnation to have a prolonged
effect on you. Run back to Me quickly when you have sinned, and allow
Me to cleanse and restore you immediately. Don't live in the level of
immaturity and misunderstanding. Don't allow sin to separate you from Me
for some period of time. When you realize you are dirty, don't hesitate
to run back to Me. Don't allow the enemy to condemn you or to separate
you from My grace. Trust Me to do as I have promised, and allow Me to
clean you up.


* Romans 8:1-2