Judith 7:8-8:36 The Maccabees, Ammonites, and Assyrians have Jerusalem surrounded. They are cutting off their water supply and waiting for them to surrender, rather than attacking them over the protective mountains. The people are suffering greatly from thirst. They go to the king, Uzziah, and beg him to surrender the city. He asks them to hold out for five more days and to trust in God's mercy and protection, but he promises that if God has not saved them in five days, he will surrender the city. Then we are introduced to Judith, a beautiful, holy, rich widow greatly admired and loved. She calls Uzziah and the leaders to her and tells them they should not have offered to surrender to the city, they will all suffer greatly and be punished by God if they do. She reminds them that they must trust in God, that he will not punish the people when they have been faithful to him, and they have been, they have not been worshiping false gods as their ancestors did. Right now, she says, they are being tested, for "the Lord scourges those who draw near to him, in order to admonish them." Uzziah admits that Judith is right, but he says he has made an oath to the people that he cannot break. So Judith says she has a plan and asks that he let her carry it out and ask no questions until it is done. Usiah agrees.

We must trust him. He has promised to always protect us, and has shown his infinite love and mercy to us time and time again, to the point of allowing his only son to be sacrificed. Why, then, do we let our enemies draw us into surrender? It is so tempting sometimes, especially when we are suffering and they have the means to alleviate our suffering (or at least they and we think they do!). Here, the enemies are in "control" of the water supply to the city, so the people are suffering from thirst. But who is really in control? God! He may be allowing this testing but, if his people have been faithful, he will not allow their enemies to conquer them. He is their God and protector. Judith is absolutely right, and her plan eventually works. But but not only must we trust him, we must allow him to use us to accomplish his plan. Judith has given herself wholly to him, and so she has been given wisdom and she uses it to save the people.

Sometimes, I know I am being given wisdom, but I struggle with how to use it. My ego or my pride gets in my way - I don't want to reprimand others nor to put myself at risk to accomplish his plan, but if that is what he's asking me to do, I must do it!