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Have you ever read any of the texts between the testaments? These books are called The Apocrypha and the deutero-canonical books. I'm a protestant so these books are not part of our bible. However the book of Judith has some good things to say.
I read the story about how King Nebuchadnezzar, ruler of the Babylonian Empire and self-proclaimed god on earth, came against Judea in war because the Judeans would not fight for him against the Assyrians.
The story goes that armies of Nebuchadnezzar encamped around the Galilean country side in the hills surrounding the village of Bethulia. The people were terrified and cried out to God. In time, without water and without any sign that God was going to help them, their faith faltered. They devised a plan that if God didn't do something in five days, they would surrender and serve Nebuchadnezzar as slaves in order to save themselves. Judith, a holy woman and a widow in their midst challenged them.
Judith 8:12-17
12 Who are you, then, that you should have put God to the test this day, setting yourselves in the place of God in human affairs? 13 It is the Lord Almighty for whom you are laying down conditions; will you never understand anything? 14 You cannot plumb the depths of the human heart or grasp the workings of the human mind; how then can you fathom God, who has made all these things, discern his mind, and understand his plan? "No, my brothers, do not anger the Lord our God. 15 For if he does not wish to come to our aid within the five days, he has it equally within his power to protect us at such time as he pleases, or to destroy us in the face of our enemies. 16 It is not for you to make the Lord our God give surety for his plans. "God is not man that he should be moved by threats, nor human, that he may be given an ultimatum. 17 "So while we wait for the salvation that comes from him, let us call upon him to help us, and he will hear our cry if it is his good pleasure.
Have you ever felt like God wasn't listening to your cries for help? Have you ever felt God had placed you on a shelf and forgotten about you? I can tell you it's not a happy feeling. I feel useless and abandoned in such times. That's where fear does it's worst with me and faith goes down in flames.
In such times, I feel like abandoning any kind of service for a God who isn't doing for me. Just to admit that makes me see how selfish and childish that is. Yet I have to admit that's the screaming tantrum that goes on inside of my soul in such times. So I pout and I try to figure out other options since the God thing isn't working out. I might even try manipulation like the people of Bethulia. "Hey, God! If you don't do something in five days, I'm going to go my own way! I'm going to do something rash, myself without you since you don’t seem to care about me!"
Judith, in her holy wisdom, puts that childish part of me in his place. Who am I to lay conditions on God? Who am I to criticize the Lord of Heaven and Earth in His actions ro lack thereof from my small and miniscule perspective? I cannot possibly see all the universe and what God is doing in certain situations. My loss may mean someone else's gain. My "shelved" status may mean the exciting employment of another that could not be employed unless I am out of the picture.
This is particularly important for us to think about when our music ministries are not happening the way we think they should be. We may feel abandoned by God. He called us into this exciting and fulfilling use of our musical and evangelical gifts, but now nothing is happening. Some think maybe we've sinned and God is unhappy with us, so he's not blessing our ministry. Perhaps. Search your hearts and find out if there is any wicked way in you and repent. But it just might be that God has other people who are in play and we need to wait on God to call us into action again.
This kind of understanding requires us to recognize that our ministries belong to God and not to us. We are God's servants. Sometimes He doesn't call on us to do anything with our favorite gifts. At such times perhaps God desires our other gifts to be at work. Maybe we need to go clean toilets at the local shelter to help them out! Humbling servant work is good for the soul and keeps us in the proper perspective. We are God's servants. God is not our servant. While God is our ever present help, God is God. It's God's choice.
Rock Prophets has lost our drummer, lost our bassist and we are broken. The last two years have been terrible from our designs with little opportunity given to play out. Now we seem to be falling apart. What's up God? Have we made you mad? Are we no longer useful to you? If you don't do something soon...
Judith reminds me to wait on God and trust God's plan, even if it means my loss. Jesus reminds us to persevere in prayer like the widow who kept pursuing justice from the unjust judge (Luke 18:1- . The crux is the belief that God wants to do us good. So wait for the good God plans to do for us each and be renewed in your spiritual strength (Isa. 40:31). And remember that times of trial can be accepted as our Heavenly Father's training of us His children (Heb. 12:10). God may be giving us newer and stronger spiritual gifts through such times if we are willing to receive by remaining faithful and submissive in such times.
One last thing. Judith was God's answer to prayers for God's help. She saw what needed to be done. God gave her the plan and courage to carry it out. She could see the plan because she was constant seeking God's face through prayer and fasting. Her neighbors were listening to fear. We just need to quiet fear and seek God's face. Then He will show us what we need to do. I might mean waiting. I might mean action. Both are acts of obedience.
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