“Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” Job 13:15 NKV

There is no getting around facing trials in this life, however there is such a way as to wether or not we will ‘pass our tests’. Remember it is was the Holy Spirit who led Jesus into the desert to be tested. “Afterward, the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the lonely wilderness in order to reveal his strength against the accuser by going through the ordeal of testing.” Matthew 4:1 TPT

It wasn’t until after His ‘ordeal’ of testing that Jesus came out of the desert with the power of the Holy Spirit resting upon Him. The Bible writes that His testing was so intense He needed ministering angels to attend to Him.

I find it interesting after Jesus came from this testing He began His public ministry teaching and when He reached His hometown He fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah; “Then Jesus, armed with the Holy Spirit’s power, returned to Galilee, and his fame spread throughout the region. He taught in the synagogues and they glorified him. When he came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, he went into the synagogue, as he always did on the Sabbath. When Jesus came to the front to read the Scriptures, he was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found where it is written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, and he has anointed me to be hope for the poor, healing for the brokenhearted, and new eyes for the blind, and to preach to prisoners, ‘You are set free!’ I have come to share the message of Jubilee, for the time of God’s great acceptance has begun.” Luke‬ ‭4:18-19‬ ‭TPT‬‬

He was finally able to share His purpose, as if to say “this is what I was born to do”. And I love that healing the broken hearted was on His mind. It makes me wonder what He felt in the desert, not just the loneliness, though perhaps a brokenness we will never understand; living the revelation of a crucified life as a man yet fully God. Jesus subdued His power to honor His Father but also to fulfill the plan for us. To carry a cross with the weight of all humanity while also holding all power required unseen humility. Had he given in to satan’s temptations we would not have eternal life.

There is no man that will not fail us but Him. “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age”. Matthew 28:20. My favorite promise of nearness. He’s in the fire with me.

I understand many in the Body are walking through testing. We may be at different levels and areas of growth, but it is for the maturing of His Bride. If I were honest, I would have thought the ‘ordeal’ of testing would have relented by now. I perceived I was taking final exams a few weeks ago when yet an even greater trial hit. Job-like trials. However, this past Sunday June 26 while in worship at church I saw a vision of a fireman’s hat with the front facing west. It had turned to gold. This was encouraging!

Prophetically, many pioneers traveled west to strike gold. I see there is a GOLD RUSH coming in the body. They are the mature sons and daughters who have pioneered, who have been tried and purified by fire, those being repositioned to rule in this next hour, those who will restore ALL of creation, those who chose death of self for the life of Christ. For the crushed and pressed ones it’s for your oil; keep yielding, keep surrendering, keep obeying. He never leaves. Receive the promise and gift of His nearness. Precious Jesus, you are worth it all.

“Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy]. [Matt. 8:17.]” Isaiah‬ ‭53:4‬ ‭AMPC‬‬

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭34:18‬ ‭NIV‬‬