Come Get "FOCUS"ed!

I've been enjoying the Tuesday night Women's “Focus” studies that Mina Oglesby has been leading this month. Mina has turned our focus toward women in the Bible from whose lives we can draw strength and encouragement for our own. In the busyness of our schedules, it’s challenging to pull away even for the short 50 minute sessions to meditate on Scripture, but the time spent with the dear women of our church has been well worth it! I’m thankful for Mina's funny, yet rich perspective on some “obscure” women whose lives are mentioned in the Bible.

The first night we discovered the hospitality of the Shunammite woman in 2 Kings 4. She had embraced the ministry of Elisha, even to the extent of building a room for him in which to stay during his travels. I was challenged to seek ways that I could emulate this kind of generosity. Further study revealed that the Shunammite woman had also experienced much grief in her life. Yet, in the midst of disappointment she had lived out her faith in God. I was reminded that God does not promise to eliminate sorrow from our lives (John 16:33), rather He says He will never leave us-that He’ll be with us to comfort and guide us (Genesis 28:15, Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 13:5-6).

Last Tuesday, Mina began by taking us to some funerals. In Numbers 20:1 we learn that Miriam dies. There is no suggestion that the Israelites mourned her death as they did Moses’ and Aaron’s deaths. She seems to go off the grid after her bout with leprosy in Numbers 12. We can’t speculate, but it is interesting that this woman who’d been known for her bravery, quick thinking, and leadership abilities even as a young girl is not mentioned again until her very basic obituary in Numbers 20:1. While Miriam’s leprosy had been cured, we are left to wonder if the leprosy of her soul is what led to an absence of recorded ministry later in life. There have been times in my life that I struggled with bitterness. Even recalling those circumstances to memory threatens to overwhelm me with the hurt, embarrassment, frustration, and anger I felt in those moments. So I can completely understand if she did, in fact, withdraw from any future ministry. I’d like to think that she grew from that experience and that we simply have no record of the impact she had on those around her. What I take away from reading her story is that life is full of challenges and opportunities to grow. I’m thankful for His Spirit who lives in me and is helping me to transform by the renewal of my mind (Romans 12:1-2)!

I’m looking forward to one final “focus” tonight at 7:00p! If you’ve been unable to come, join us tonight! You won’t regret it!

~Rebecca Phillips

My Hope for 2015

I always love starting a new year--The possibilities it presents, the "newness" of it. Being an eternal optimist, I always look for a better year than the one before. For several years now, I have longed for a cessation of the constancy of heart-wrenching trials. I want to just rest and praise my Lord. This is probably a foolish longing this side of heaven. The trials continue, my faith is tested constantly, and the victory is nowhere in sight. So, what do you look forward to if you give up hope in your dreams? If - your life as it is today- is as good as it gets? Well what do you do with that?

The answer lies in the book of Job. Job…the one to whom we dare compare ourselves, secretly, way down deep in our hearts. Job…the one for whom we cheer, condemn, and eventually imitate. Job…the one who beautifully accepted tragedies few of us will ever endure; and then massively wiped out when further tested.

I live the Job cycle, going from "The Lord gives and takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord forever," to long chapters (in the book and in my life) of contemplation. These are the times I would never verbalize but constantly try to understand –“Why, God?” Much of our walk is tied up too frequently in trying to understand the ways of The One whose ways are higher than ours (Isa. 55:9). We are not alone in this. Besides Job being mainly about this quest, we see this in many of the saints of old. Was that not the question of: Mary & Martha regarding Lazarus, Paul regarding the thorn in his flesh, Jacob regarding life, Jonah regarding God's heart, Elijah regarding his expected outcome of his ministry efforts, etc.? We could go on and on. Eventually, we will all be stumped by God’s dealings with us.

So, how did Job deal with this? He lamented his confusion about the ways of God. Many of us get stuck there. We carry on with an outward show of faith, but inside we are not in agreement with God- the question of “Why?” is ever present between us and our Maker. This results in "self-efforts" regarding our trials; we pray less and work more. We look for different ways out of our mess- sometimes so utterly disillusioned with God that we are unable to take our burden to Him anymore. In Abram’s life this resulted in Ishmael. In ours, it results in a pseudo walk with God- we are not in step with God unless we are depending on Him for everything.

So, we have the problem: the why question. We have the result: self- effort and distance in our walk. So where is the triumphant end?

THE END to the trial is not the FIX of the TRIAL, or the ANSWER to why the trials in the first place. THE END to the trial is surrender to the truth that we will not understand God, and frankly that is not our calling in the first place. The END is the END of the question... Job’s "answer" from God was not an answer at all. It was a proclamation of God's vast greatness. The message being: God is so infinitely awesome, mighty, and omniscient that we, as mere mortals, could never comprehend the reasons behind His works. In essence, God said to Job, "Son, you can't "get" me, and it is the height of arrogance that you would try." The tone of reprimand is clearly evident throughout God's response. Who are we to question God? If He takes all we have in this life, is He not still worthy of our praise? God is God and we are not. We must be still and know that God is God (Psalm 46:10).

We can surrender to God by accepting He is good no matter what our life looks like, that He may or may not change our circumstances, and that that is irrelevant. We must humble our hearts, and give up our pursuit and perceived right to understanding in exchange for trust. Trust in a God who is love and who can ultimately only do what is the best for us because of His very nature.

This is the heart we need to have, which then leads to the next result. Because, Job had humbled his heart, his faith took on a deeper dimension evidenced by: "I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; (Job. 42:5).” Deeper faith is never about understanding God, but about understanding that He is too great to understand. This "maturing" in Job’s faith immediately brings about an outward work. He then prays for his friends. Notice his focus has completely left his trial and has changed to his being used of God for others.

This message has been put on my heart repeatedly by God throughout the last couple of years; however, the culmination to the message came to me Sunday when Pastor Winget brought to us nearly the same truth. God spoke to my heart this way:

Sarah, will you give up your desire for security in exchange for trust, and will you give up your complaining in exchange for thankfulness?

This is what I want for 2015...

“But this is the one to whom I will look: 

he who is humble and contrite in spirit 

and trembles at my word.” 

Isaiah 66:2

Sarah Beasley