The Invitation - Grace for the Journey

New Website
Posted by Sarah on Tuesday, March 15, 2011 at 11:24am
Thanks for dropping into visit! I've moved my blog to http://sarahbush.com
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Listen to What I Say
Posted by Sarah on Saturday, December 18, 2010 at 8:48am
I woke up this cold, snowy morning to hear a unique rendition of “Do You Hear What I Hear?” There was a charm in its melody, voices, and instruments as the carol draws with imagery the night that Christ was born; all nature joined together to rejoice. The lyrics begin with the night wind questioning a little lamb out in the fields at night, “Do you see what I see?” asks the wind; the conversation points to the star brightly shining. And then the lamb asks a shepherd boy, “Do you hear what I hear?” Do you hear the song of the resounding voice singing through the night? And then he asks the king with confidence, “Do you know what I know?” A child has been born…”He will bring us goodness and light.” The lyrics continue, the king proclaims to the people, “Listen to what I say. Pray for peace people everywhere.” The simplicity of five words from the King, “Listen to what I say” is steeped in theology. Repeatedly, like a harpist playing her hand over the strings, God has impressed this message to me. All of life – really comes down to this…”Do I believe what God says?” Do we listen to the holy Word of God? Do we value God’s Word above our own thoughts and other’s opinions and ideas? As I study the book of Isaiah, a passage full of prophecy, I find tucked within the middle of it, “The LORD has spoken.” The whole books starts, “Hear, O heavens! Listen, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: I reared children brought them up, but they have rebelled against me.” God reveals himself as a Father throughout all of scripture. And as a parent, I can relate to the concerns of his heart. What is it that tends to elevate our emotions the most while raising children? I think the issue of our children not listening is the most frustrating, and heart wrenching. We want them to listen because we love them. As parents, we want to protect our children with boundaries so they will grow and mature to make a valued contribution to God and our society. But most often it takes discipline to bring them back under the umbrella of hearing our voices again. Several passages refer to this principle in Isaiah. “If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best in the land, but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” Isaiah 1:19 Isaiah himself even emphasizes the need to listen. “ Hear now… (Hear it now, so you can believe it later when it happens). The LORD himself will give you a sign. The virgin will be with child and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel (which means God with us).” Isaiah 7:13 After all of God’s warnings to listen, with revelation of the consequences to those who don’t, God longs for us to find peace; the peace that is only found in finding him through the gift of his son. Keeping our mind steadfast on him comes with a promise – for perfect peace to those who trust in him. (Isaiah 26:3). I have to ask, “Do you hear what I hear?” The only path to perfect peace is to listen and then obey God’s Word and his ways. His commands are not burdensome, but give life to our steps. Practically speaking, more often than not, we don’t hear a loud voice in the thunder cloud, but a gentle nudging of his Spirit. A great place to start is to listen in prayer while reading God’s Word. God invites us, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know” Jeremiah 33:3. God knows your need and the challenges you face. As we focus on his character, and believe with him all things are possible, then his peace comes. We often think of prayer as listing our concerns, our needs, but we gain so much more if we seek to listen to what the LORD Almighty said to us in his Word. As God lovingly requests, similar to the words in the Christmas song, “Listen to what I say.” Give God a gift this Christmas of listening with your ears and eyes… with your whole being. Look to him; seek his face. Remember the wonders he has done for you. “Silver and gold”…we may not have much for those of us in this economy who are struggling, but we have the gift of ourselves we can give. Give God your time…in listening prayer. Be still…and focus on the miracle of the birth of the newborn King.
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Break Out Singing
Posted by Sarah on Friday, December 10, 2010 at 11:19am
My life in the afternoon lately has consisted of being a chauffeur as I transport teenagers to doctor appointments, picking them up after school from tutoring or activities, taking them back to school for ballgames or to friend’s house, etc. I think all this is preparation for needing another driver in the house and my looking forward to it! The conversation in the car usually lends itself to the usual small talk; complaints about how boring school is, too much homework, or teachers who are “weird.” In these times, I know I’m to listen and redirect their minds to persevere and be positive – to see the bigger picture – God has a plan. Our conversation is always challenged by the “need” for the radio. My kids always want the radio on in the car. I can’t believe they haven’t invented a remote control for the radio to use from the back seat; they constantly want to switch stations for the “right” song. To focus on their conversation, I turn down the volume to communicate that I want to hear what they have to say, expressing to them that nothing is more important at the moment. Sometimes there is a lull in the conversation, but more often than not, when we hear a particular song, my daughters will break out singing. Especially with the Christmas music lately, they’ll break out, “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas” or “have a holly jolly Christmas…” But hearing, “O, holy night, the lights are brightly shining…” stirs a great joy in my heart. There is one song however, no matter the time of year that all three of us break out singing at the top of our lungs when we hear it. The song is called “How He Loves” by the David Crowder Band. Hearing my girls sing to their lung’s capacity of the great love God has for them, moves me to tears. The lyrics say, “Oh, how he loves us” over and over, until it seeps deep into your soul. What I observe as they sing is that kids are so willing to believe and trust. The hurts of the world have not battered them down to keep them from singing. If we would truly believe this truth, we would conquer the problems of our world! We would live differently – without fear of our futures, embracing life more fully with hope for a future grace. I flipped my calendar that sits by my kitchen window, the kind that gives scriptures for everyday. This week there was a verse was from 1 John 4:18 (MSG) and it read, “There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling; a fearful life – a fear of death, fear of judgment – is one not yet fully formed in love.” When love is secure…we can sing with all our hearts and our lungs are at full capacity. At youth group Sunday night in our small group of twelve girls, we asked a question, “What makes Christmas special to you?” One of the girls said, “The music.” This is a season of celebrating and what better way to celebrate than to put on some music and sing with all your heart. Whether you like Handel’s Messiah, or singing “Jingle Bells” with your kids, let your songs be songs of praise. It is God who made us, we are his…and he deserves all of our praise. My Bible study leader said this week, “Praise is the sweetest song we can sing.” Christmas is a wonderful time of year, but with our high expectations we can easily become disappointed. The season can be sad for those who are struggling with loneliness, have lost loved ones, or even face family gatherings with anxiety. But I’m learning like Leah (in Genesis 28) who so desperately fought the need for love by her husband, and she finally overcame her disappointment in not receiving it by saying, “This time I will praise the LORD.” She overcame her disappointment in finding perfection on this side of heaven with praise. And the beautiful thing about praise, not only does it give God glory, but it does a wonderful work in our hearts. It’s a sign that we will trust him no matter our circumstances. Our satisfaction can only come from Jesus! We are disillusioned if we do. So, sing on! Sing and celebrate the birth of the new born King! “I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago.” (Isaiah 25:1) Today’s Journal Task: Pull up on YouTube “How He Loves” by David Crowder Band. Sing it to the top of your lungs. Take it in and write a response of praise in your journal.
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Get Ready
Posted by Sarah on Thursday, December 2, 2010 at 2:13pm
“Get ready. Be prepared…” Ezekiel 38:7 For months now I have thought this was a personal message for me – to ponder in my heart. The question kept coming back to me, “What is it that I need to get ready for when my speaking ministry takes off?” I need to finish working on my website, gather research for my next book, and refine my talks to be like Steve Jobs with enthusiasm, simplicity and practice. (I’m reading his latest book, The Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs). But as I ponder the directive from God – just maybe I’m supposed to be a messenger – and the message is for you, just as much as it is for me. “Get ready. Be prepared…” For what you many wonder? I can’t help but say…”Get ready. Be prepared. Jesus is coming.” Jesus is coming again – whether it is for the present preparation as he comes into our hearts and homes as we celebrate the birth of God’s son, or for a future time yet to come when he arrives riding on the clouds. “The day” is hastening. What are practical ways we can get ready and be prepared? For the present Christmas season we need to be intentional in our plans and purchases to make Christmas about Christ not us. Keep an eternal perspective. Life is more than what we receive or give; it’s about the presence of loved ones around us. We need to make good choices. Physically – make good choices in eating, exercise, and rest. I used to struggle with my weight. (The challenge is back on…now that I am forty something!) And now, as I enter the season of festive parties and food galore, I prepare my mind before I enter the environment of temptation. I make a decision to only have one helping or sample of a few hor’dorves, and one glass of my favorite – eggnog, cider, or wine. Spiritually – getting prepared is the most important focus of all. Make it a priority to take time to nurture your soul by focusing on Jesus. Read Luke chapter 2 or in Isaiah 9:6 and pick one of the names of Jesus; ask God to reveal something new to you about his character or through the Christmas story. As you have heard it said, “Wise men still seek him.” For the more distant future, take time to ask God how he wants you to “get ready and be prepared” for his return to rule the earth. Are we living like this return is eminent? I’ve been challenged in my Bible study of Isaiah, “to be silent – is not love.” “You who bring good news … lift up your voice, do not be afraid” (Isaiah 40:9) During the Christmas season we are inhibited and sometimes prohibited to speak about what we believe. Family can be the most intimidating. But if we consider the reality of eternal life and eternal suffering, may we be quickened to speak with more urgency and boldness. First things first, to “get ready and be prepared” I have to ask: are you right in your relationship with God? Your relationship with God is the single most important relationship. Will you make room in the “inn” of your heart as they did over 2000 years ago? Be intentional. Make room…make time to worship. Emmanuel is coming again to dwell with us.
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Survived by the Grace of God
Posted by Sarah on Friday, November 19, 2010 at 7:31am
On the way home for school, my son invited me to attend a special event that evening to hear a speaker from the holocaust. I decided if my son invited me to go, I was going. As my kids get older, the time available to spend with them seems to get less and less. As soon as we arrived and I was graciously given a ticket from a stranger whose son was not able to attend. With affirmation that I was to attend, I concentrated attempting to decipher through the dialect of Nesse Godin. My heart filled with gratitude as she shared her story. She was thirteen when she became a prisoner and survived a ghetto, a concentration camp, and a death march. Nesse also shared some practical ways of how God provided for her. The older ladies in the camp urged her not to give up, and not to let Hitler have a victory over her. One woman told her, to survive she needed to stand up straight and pinch her cheeks to look healthy. The older women would see her crying from hunger. So out of their little ration of bread they would break off a small piece and give it to her. One woman who did not survive exhorted Nesse to tell their story. And now she does. Nesse speaks against evil as she challenges the students to think first before they act and to investigate what groups are about before they join. She warned them to be careful, “Woe, to those who call evil good and good evil” (Isaiah 5:20). Appropriately, for this time of year, she challenged our hearts to be grateful. She shared of how their beds would be infested with fleas, yet she learned to be thankful…the fleas kept the soldiers from beating them inside the barracks. During the question and answer session, a young student asked her how she survived. As I sat in a public school auditorium, to my amazement, Nesse boldly proclaimed to a few hundred teens in attendance, “I survived by the grace of God. I prayed every night to live.” After experiencing and seeing so much tragedy and abuse herself, she admitted that she wanted to die. But how did she survive, if it were not for the grace of God and the women who died to themselves to see that she lived? It hit me that these older women had spoken into her life, “Stay alive to tell our story.” These words gave Nesse hope and purpose. A few days later, I was introduced to another fellow author. We discussed our publishing experiences over (another provision of God) free coffee for both of us. After hearing his story and recalling the obstacles that I faced to publish, I would say with more conviction, there is an enemy that does not want people to read about God or the things of God! I learned that my new friend had written a manuscript ten years ago when he was diagnosed with cancer of his salivary glands. It is a very rare cancer. After his surgery and treatments, he literally could not eat for two years. Pulling out the tip of his pen, he showed me the size his esophagus had shrunk. I listened amazed, as he continued to share his suffering that his house caught on fire. Everything was lost – all his possessions, his entire manuscript, all was lost, but his children and wife. One morning at his church, he sensed the glory of God come down as he worshiped. His mouth began salivating (where there were no salivary glands)!!! And like most authors, we write what we experience. This suffering in his life did not stop him from persevering over the enemy to tell his life story as compared to Job in his next book. Even with dyslexia, my new friend exemplified what it looks like to be “more than a conqueror!” My new friend has survived by the grace of God. He jokingly laughed that his double blessing (as Job had received) was that he now can eat two bowls of ice cream every day and not gain a pound. Don’t you love how God’s rewards faithfulness!? Monday night, I received another blessing, as I spent the evening leading the “kick off” Bible study of my books with a handful of ladies at local ministry established for toubled women called a “House of Refuge.” Our discussion was rich. I was touched by their humility, reverence, and gratitude toward God in our time of prayer. The poor (they materially did not have much in this simple home), were “rich” in God. Again, I could see the two young girls living at the house were being sheltered by the grace of God. My week was full of meeting others who boldly proclaimed, “I survived by the grace of God.” So many of us are facing trials, and facing death of loved ones. If we by faith truly believe we have a destination beyond our earthly eyes, then we, who believe in Jesus, believe in heaven (eternal life) and hell (eternal suffering). We have a promise; we will survive by the grace of God through Christ Jesus our Lord! I’ll close with some powerful verses from Hebrews that have given me strength to carry on in this life with hope of a better future. “So do not throw away your confidence (that Jesus is who he said he was and will do what he promised), it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere (keep on reaching for the goal to apprehend the reason Jesus took hold of you) so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he promised. For in just a little while ‘He who is coming will not delay.’ But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back (in fear and unbelief) I will not be pleased with him. But we are not of those who shrink back (in fear and unbelief) and are destroyed, but of those who believe (that Jesus will complete what he began in us) and are saved (from ourselves for eternal life)!” Hebrews 10:34-35 Prayer Journal Task This Thanksgiving week take some time away by yourself and focus on giving God thanks for all the blessings in your life. Start with the practical…your hands, feet, clothes, a warm home, family... Then thank God for Jesus, for his promises, and the grace we receive to survive today and eternally with him. And God bless you this Thanksgiving!
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