Dear FBC Family, Friends and Alumni,
A Letter for the Year Ahead
As I prepare to welcome you into this new season at Focus Bible College, I find myself drawn repeatedly to one passage that has become my anchor: Isaiah 63:15-19. It is a prayer from a people standing amid ruins—literal and spiritual—yet refusing to let go of who God has proven Himself to be. And I believe it carries profound encouragement for us as we begin this year together.
Standing Where They Stood
To understand this text, we must step back nearly six centuries before Christ. The nation of Judah had returned from Babylonian captivity, only to face what seemed like insurmountable obstacles. Jerusalem lay in rubble. The temple sat in shambles. Neighboring peoples opposed their rebuilding efforts. Voices within the community contradicted one another about how to move forward. In many ways, it felt as though God's promises had failed.
Into this atmosphere rises a communal cry: "Look down from heaven and see, from your lofty throne, holy and glorious. Where are your zeal and your might? Your tenderness and compassion are withheld from us" (Isaiah 63:15, NIV).
Notice what happens here. These people do not minimize their pain. They do not pretend everything is fine. They address God honestly: Where are you? Why does it seem like your power and mercy have gone quiet? Yet—and this is critical—they still pray. They still approach the throne. They still name God as their Father and Redeemer even when circumstances contradict His care.
"You Are Our Father"
This declaration anchors the entire passage: "Yet you, LORD, are our Father. Though Abraham does not know us or Israel acknowledge us, you, LORD, are our Father" (verse 16).
Think about the weight of this statement. The exiles were saying: Even if our ancestors don't recognize us. Even if our identity feels fragmented. Even if we cannot trace the lineage of blessing back to where we hoped—we know who you are.
This was not easy theology. It required faith that outlasted feelings, that trusted God's covenant faithfulness beyond their current visibility of it. And I wonder if your hearts resonate with similar questions this year. Perhaps you entered Bible college expecting clear direction, yet found unexpected confusion. Perhaps you carry a family legacy of faith you're not sure how to honor. Perhaps you wonder if you're truly known by God amid the pressures of coursework, relationships, and vocational discernment.
This passage gives you permission to acknowledge the tension. It also gives you permission to remember: your identity rests not in human recognition, but in divine sonship.
Remembering What God Has Done
Verses 17-18 continue with honest questioning: "Why do you make us wander from your ways?... Why do you harden our hearts?" Then comes a stunning pivot: "For you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us... but you, LORD, are our Father. Our Redeemer from of old is your name."
They did what faithful people do: they remembered. Earlier in the chapter (verses 7-14), they recount how God brought Israel through the sea, led them with His right hand, and divided waters before them. They could not deny their own history with Yahweh, even while experiencing what felt like abandonment in the present.
And this is where I want to invite you into practice for the coming year: Build your own memorial stones.
The Israelites physically placed stones as reminders of God's deliverance (Joshua 4:7). You can create spiritual memory banks—notes of answered prayers, journals tracking God's provision, testimonies from mentors who've walked before you. When discouragement comes—and it will—you'll need more than abstract theology. You'll need concrete evidence that God has been faithful to you personally.
The Unchanged Character of God
The passage closes with raw vulnerability: "Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you... You come to those who wait for you" (echoing into 64:4).
Even in lament, they affirm God's uniqueness. Even in doubt, they declare His incomparability. They are not pretending the struggle doesn't exist; they are choosing to trust the One who exists beyond the struggle.
This matters profoundly for ministry. There will be seasons when your prayers feel unanswered. Seasons when your efforts produce little visible fruit. Seasons when spiritual warfare feels relentless. This passage reminds us that God's character—the zeal, might, tenderness, and compassion mentioned in verse 15—is not dependent on your circumstances. It is inherent to His nature. He remains your Father even when the path ahead looks uncertain.
A Charge for the Year Ahead
As you enter this new academic year, I want to entrust you with three convictions:
First, bring your honest questions to God. The writers of Scripture modeled raw honesty with Yahweh. Psalm 13, Habakkuk's complaints, and Jeremiah's laments are all preserved in our canon. Do not fear your doubts; fear hiding them. True faith is not the absence of questions—it is bringing your questions into God's presence.
Second, anchor yourself in covenant identity before you ask for breakthrough. Notice the order in this passage: Remember who God is, then ask Him to act. When we rush past remembrance toward petition, we risk reducing God to a divine vending machine rather than a relational Father. Spend time in thanksgiving for what He has already done before you plead for what He has not yet done.
Third, expect that waiting on God is not wasted time. Isaiah 64:4 concludes: "You come to those who wait for you." Waiting is active faith, not passive resignation. It is preparing your hands for work, your heart for obedience, your mind for revelation. The year ahead may involve seasons of preparation you cannot yet see. Trust that God honors faithful waiting.
Closing Thoughts
There is a reason this passage has kept returning to me as I prepare to lead you. Because I know this year will bring challenges I cannot predict. Because I know I will face moments when God feels distant even while I serve Him publicly. Because I know that focusing on His unchanging character—rather than fluctuating circumstances—will sustain me far longer than emotional highs ever could.
Same for you.
When you feel forgotten, remember: you are adopted into God's family.
When you feel powerless, remember: your Redeemer from of old is His name.
When you feel unseen, remember: He looks down from His holy throne with zeal, might, tenderness, and compassion toward you.
May this year deepen your faith, broaden your perspective, and strengthen your resolve to stand firm in the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
With great expectation for what God will do among us,
Dr. Patrick Vossen
President, Focus Bible College
"Those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." — Isaiah 40:31
RSS Feed