Job 23:10
But He knows the way that I take when He has tested me and I will come forth as gold.
Difficulties, trials, tribulations, faith, endurance and overcoming are words that describe the life and times  of Job. Does this sound like your life at all? You may not have been tested in the manner that Job was tested, but I assure you will be tested. How much do we love Jesus, will we allow Him to test our love for Him? Love conquers all and Job has shown us this. He saw through the eyes of his master and knew and trusted him till the end. Revelations 3:12 says: ‘Him who overcomes, I will make a pillar in the temple of my God, never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem which is coming down out of heaven from my God and I will also write on him my new name.'
In Job we see how one man suffered the pains and agonies of sickness and the emptiness and loniless of loved ones dying, being misunderstood, broken and in despair. God allowed Jobs love for Him, his integrity and character to be tested by Satan and it was through this fire of affliction his love proved to be as gold and he came out be an overcomer in the end. Let us take hold of the Lords love and the horns of His altar and cry until Him so that when our time of testing comes we will still trust Him and see that His hand is in everything. Let us pray that we don’t get so busy listening to other voices more than His. May we be still and know that He is God and hear Him say to us:
I am and we answer you are!

For anyone who has lost a loved one like myself knows the feelings of sadness loss and the grieving of knowing that you will not see that person here on earth again for some it feels like a part of you goes with them. My dearest mother went to be with the Lord recently and I saw the hand of the Lord in all of it. He orquestrated everything that needed to be done and taken care of. I have tried to prepare myself for this but one can really never know how to react exactly until one sees with his own eyes or experiences it for oneself while going through it. There is something special about a mother’s love that is like the love of Christ. She loves you unconditionally. The lord has blessed her with long life even though she suffered much in her body she is now with the Lord. I have sensed the presence of the Lord in such a way that I did not before, I have His peace that passes all understanding and the most important thing is that she know Christ as her personal savoir and is with Him now.
She was an example and was unwavering in her faith. There would be times that I would tell her that I wished I was there to take care of her and she would tell me that I am doing what the Lord would have me to do. I pondered on her words and said to the Lord ‘you have been the one that has been taking care of her all this time and you have done a better job than I ever could’.

David & Lydia