You have been marked with an indelible mark.  When I poured out the blood of my precious son upon your life it forever marked you as my child.  Your sin cannot take it away, your righteousness cannot add to it.  Your denial of it does not remove it.  It is a banner to be waved, but not a standard for which you can take any credit.  This mark shows those around you that I am God, that I alone am holy and worthy.  This mark shows that my grace is available to all who will call on my name and come to me.  They too, can be marked as my child. 

Your indelible marker, I AM

          Your perfectionism cannot work my righteousness.  Your limited understanding of the world makes it impossible to truly understand what is “perfect”, so you are not even seeking my “perfect will” rather some version of your own that is tainted by the sinful world in which you live. You see, all the time, energy and worry you spend on not being “perfect” you could be spending with me. You could be learning about my mercy, my grace, my true plan for your life, but instead you are fretting and beating yourself up because you did not reach your own standard. Can you not see that even setting this standard and believing that you can be “perfect” is a form of idolatry and blasphemy?  If you can be perfect, then you do not need me. If you are perfect you have no use for the son I sacrificed for you.

          Oh my child, do you not see that my grace is sufficient? Do you not see that all the righteousness you need I have provided? No, you will never be perfect in this temporal world. You will never do everything right, but I did not love your worthiness. I loved you for who you were before you accepted my son. Perfectionism is just another ploy of the devil to deny your need for me. Turn away from it and seek me instead.

Your Perfection, I AM

          My storehouses are full.  Treasure upon treasure is waiting to be poured out upon my children.  I have wisdom that is overflowing for all who will ask.  I have the shelter of my presence to give to those facing the onslaught of the enemy.  I have faith for the faithless, strength for the frail, courage for the fearful, and rest for the weary.  I have joy for the sad and peace for those in the storm.  I have my righteousness to wrap around those who have none of their own.  I have storehouses full of goodness and mercy for the sinner and broken hearted. I have truth for all those searching and comfort from my spirit waiting to be poured out.  I have a ready harvest for workers willing to ask for it and I have laborers for those who are harvesting alone. I have all of it waiting for my children to claim, to boldly ask in my name.

Your storehouse, I AM   

            What makes you worthwhile?  Where does “worth” come from for any human?  When I created man, I made him in my image.  I implanted within him the ability to have relationship with me and thus to find true worth in me.  I never intended that man find “self worth” or some value for himself absent of me.  Indeed, man in his sinful state, separated from me, can never find enough good in himself to satisfy the need for true worth.  The best he will find is the damaged reflection of my image and without redemption through my son that will never satisfy his need to feel worthy.  Rather he will spend his days endlessly searching for things, works, events, people, etc. that will tell him he has worth.  These things will never satisfy.

            Do not look for your worth in your own heart.  Do not search for some reason or work that makes you worthy of my love.  Rather look at your adoption as my child, my constant love that works to save you from your sin and restore you to perfect relationship with me.  Base your worth on your title as “child of the Most High God”.  This kind of worth does not fade and will never leave you no matter how far you stray.

Your “True Worth” I AM

Do you remember when my servant David removed his clothes and danced before my ark naked?  He was so lost in his praise and worship of me, he was not concerned how foolish he appeared to others.  He was chastised by others but he stayed true to his surrender to me and did not care what others thought about it.         

        You are afraid to worship me with your body.  You are worried that someone might see a tear in your eye when you think of my son’s sacrifice for you.  You are afraid what others might say if they see your hands raised in surrender to me.  You worry that you will get lost in my praise and do or say something that appears foolish to others.  Your image of yourself worshipping me is more important than your worship of me.

          Have you read where my son says, “Love the Lord your God with all you heart, soul, and mind”?  True worship of me must include all three parts.  If you can not worship me in body, can you truly worship me in mind and soul?

Desiring all your praise, I AM

            I have seen the fashions of human kind.  Since my son Adam first tried to cover his shame with leaves I have watched the fashions of humankind.  Some dress to appear beautiful or flaunt their sexuality.  Others cover their whole body in an attempt to hide their shame.  Some cut, color, and mutilate their bodies, but it all comes down to the same thing: man without God is naked and exposed and shamed by his separation from me.  Clothing is just one way man tries to cover this shame.

            When I look on you however, I see the clothing of my son, forgiveness in all of its glory.  These clothes, covering you completely in the sacrificial offering of my son hides all shame and guilt.  It covers all wrongs and extends mercy to all guilt.  With it, you can stand in my presence and feel no shame or remorse, only my love and acceptance.  You are covered.

Clothing you in Forgiveness, I AM

            From the beginning of time I have been aware of the holiday you call “Easter”.  I knew the sacrifice would be needed.  I knew the place he would die.  I watched the tree he died upon grow from a seed into a mature and strong cross.  I saw the raw material for the nails dug from the ground and I watched the workman work the metal and make it strong enough to impale my son.  I saw the thorns when they were still bushes.  I saw them being braided and pushed into his scalp. The stone in front of the tomb, the scourge they beat him with and the cloth they wrapped him in were all known to me.  What you call Easter, I have never forgotten since time began.

            I also celebrate another day.  I celebrate the day you bowed down before me and asked for my son to come into your life.  You asked for forgiveness and mercy in his name.  You accepted the reality that he died and rose again and on that day you became my child.  I will never forget that day.

Your Father, I AM                                                                                  

            What judgment would I have for you? What condemnation of your sins?  Can I crucify my son again?  Would more of his blood be necessary to cover you failings?  Absolutely not!  His sacrifice was complete, once for all.  For me to condemn you, after you have agreed to accept his payment for your sins, would be to condemn my son and to declare his sacrifice invalid.  Such action would be unthinkable!!!

            What do I have for you then?  I have mercy, love, forgiveness and hope for you.  Yes, I do have discipline.  I love you so much I do not accept you for who you are, but want to help you to be more like my son I love.  I love you so much I sent my spirit to diligently work in your heart to help you understand my plans and desires for you.  I will correct you, discipline you and constantly work in your life, but there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus.

Without Condemnation,  I AM

Yes, I do know her.  She can be difficult at time.  She is head strong and opinionated.  She can be willful and she has trouble listening at times.  I know her temper and I have heard her grumblings and complaints.  Beyond what is obvious for you to see, I also see her hidden faults, her secret sins that she thinks she hides from all around her.  I see her darkest days and her worst actions that others do not.  I know she tries your patience.  At times she tries mine.

Yet, she is my servant, purchased at a price beyond human experience and loved by me beyond human understanding.  She is my precious daughter loved by me.  Yes, she is still growing and some days her best features do not show.  Sometimes you have to look hard to see the image of my son, she hides it well.  Yet, even on those days, she is still loved and cherished by me.  If I can love her despite my perfect knowledge of her, will you not also try?  If I can love you on your worst days, can you not try to overlook her faults and look for my image instead?

Loving you both, I AM

            I do not own a watch.  I have no calendar on my wall.  I do not keep a day planner and have no use for any device that measures time.  I watch the sunrise and set, the moon run its course and the seasons pass, yet I am not bound by any of them.  Though I know the exact time to a degree of measure your scientists could not even fathom, I am not bound by time.  I am above all time for all of eternity.  In fact, even “eternity” is meaningless compared to me; I have always been and will always be.  I hold “eternity” in my hand.

            I know that you count the days and live by your watch. You count the ticks on the wall clock and you are concerned with how quickly or slowly it passes.  Being temporary and finite you feel the pressure of time. My time and concern for your schedule are very different from yours.  I see the past, present and future in one glance and I see them all clearly.  Learn to trust in me.  Know that my timing is best for you and for all that happens around you.  When your plan for your day fails, remember I am not bound by time or by the schedule you set.  Rather, trust in me and my timing.  See what I will do in your day when it is surrendered to me.

Beyond Time, I AM