WHEN GOD FEELS SILENT - A Reflection from Judges 19

Lately, I’ve been reading the Bible, and I mean REALLY reading it from Genesis and targeting to finish it to Revelations; a goal we as the JET MINISTRIES INTL are seriously pursuing. I am currently on 1st Samuel where David was introduced and up to this point, I can say without a shred of doubt that the Bible is more than a thriller movie, it's epic to say the least! There were times I read how the Israelites set for battle and as I went through the narrations all I could think about was "What in the Vikings' Ragnar is happening here?" 🤣

I read the book of Judges, and let me just say - it was heavy!! 😥 One story that stopped me in my tracks was about the Levite and his concubine in Judges 19. It’s disturbing. Violent and painfully silent. You read it and wonder, where was God when all this was happening?

Judges 19 brings to our attention a deeply tragic story that reflects the moral decay in Israel during a time when 'everyone did what was right in their own eyes.' The chapter begins with a Levite man from Ephraim who travels to Bethlehem to retrieve his concubine who had left him. After reconciling, they journey back but choose to stop overnight in the Benjamite town of Gibeah because the journey home was too long and expected hospitality from fellow Israelites.

However, shock befell him when a group of wicked men surround the house where he and his concubine were staying, demanding to assault/rape him. To protect himself, the Levite hands over his concubine, who is abused all night and dies at the doorstep. In the morning, he finds her lifeless body, takes her home, and in a gruesome act to rally Israel’s attention, dismembers her body into 12 pieces and sends the pieces to the twelve tribes.

*Insert moment of silence here because what in the world was this?! 💔

This chapter sets the stage for civil war in Israel, revealing how far the nation had drifted from God’s justice and compassion, because 'we are doing what is right in our eyes'. 🙄

It left me asking deep questions but what echoed in my heart was this:

It is better to always try and move closer to God, even when the world tries to pull us away??

In Judges, we keep seeing the consequences of people living without God's guidance. Everyone did what was right in their own eyes and it led to chaos. Pain. Loss. That story isn’t just ancient history; it’s a MIRROR.

When we drift, when we let the noise of the world drown out God's voice, we can end up in dark places too. The good news is this though - God doesn’t move away from us. He waits. He calls. And He welcomes us back.

So here’s my quiet encouragement to you (and to myself): even when life feels loud, confusing, or even hopeless - choose to lean in. Keep reaching for Him. There’s safety, peace, and purpose when we stay close.

#ChooseHim