Music Discussions

God Must Be Busy

May 17, 2011

Dynamic Image Main Point of Discussion: God is never too busy to take care of you

The Music: “God Must Be Busy”

The Music:
Many of you don’t have to like Country music to know who Brooks & Dunn are. These two guys hit the scene way back in 1991 with their first album “Brand New Man,” and for the last 17 years, they have been “Boot Scootin’ Boogie-ing” their way up the charts and into the hearts of millions of fans on every inhabitable continent.

Any listing of Country music’s most music-defining artists would be sorely incomplete without the inclusion of this dynamic duo. Their accolades include “Entertainer of the Year,” two-time holder of Billboard Magazine’s “Country Single of the Year,” and “Country Vocal Duo of the Year” 14 of the last 17 years! Yeah, if you have any country music fans in your youth group, they know these guys.

And now, 13 albums and 20 #1 hits later, they offer the world their latest compilation called “Cowboy Town.” This disc has already landed them a bid for Country music’s “Duo Video of the Year” at the 2008 CMT Music Awards. This album also features a new song called “God Must Be Busy” that is getting a lot of play time right now.

At THE SOURCE FOR YOUTH MINISTRY we like to use pop culture references to start Biblical conversations (just like the Apostle Paul did in Acts 17). This song will provide a great way to start discussion in your group. Print off the lyrics below and give each student a copy to refer to as they listen to the song.

The Music Video:
The song’s video can be found at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgvuIYZ9eoI

Introducing the Music Video:
Whether you like country or hate it, you can’t deny that the words to this song evoke emotion. The song communicates a feeling that many of us have felt. It asks a question that many of us have asked. Listen for a moment to “God Must Be Busy.”

Lyrics: “God Must Be Busy”

That anchor man
says the fight began
somewhere in the Middle East.
The world prays for peace.
There's a single mom
just got laid off when she lost a job
to some foreign hands
in some faraway land.
Last night in Oklahoma
some twister took thirteen
and they're praying that they find
the missing three.
God must be busy.

That highway sign
went from slow ahead
to traffic's dead.
Thought it couldn't get worse
than that Amber Alert.
They say she's 4,
Colorado plates, headed out-of-state
in a Chevy van.
It's hard to understand.
You can see it in the faces
of all those highway strangers,
they're praying that God
keeps that girl from danger.
God must be busy.

And I know in the big picture
I'm just a speck of sand
and God's got better things to do
than look out for one man.
I know he's heard my prayers
cause he hears everything,
he just ain't answered back
or he'd bring you back to me.
God must be busy.

That evening news,
Ain't much changed
pretty much the same
since I left home.
Yeah that war's still on.
They found that little girl.
She was soaking wet,
half scared to death
on the side of some road.
Them prayers work, you know.
And the Bloods and Cripps are at it,
and there’s a killer drought down south,
and old folks can't afford the drugs
they can't live without.
God must be busy.

That anchorman,
says the fighting’s worse,
cities burn in the Middle East.
The world prays for peace

Transition Statement:
This song describes exactly how lots of people feel when they look at the broken world we live in. Everything from natural disasters, to kidnappings, to war and terror are mentioned in this song. For most, it’s easy to see why Brooks & Dunn think God must be too busy to do anything about the problems we face. But let’s spend some time talking together about this belief and see if it’s really true. Let’s see if God really is too busy for us.

Divide into Small Groups:
Let’s go ahead and split up into our discussion groups, and then afterward we’ll come back together for a final word.

CLICK HERE for a quick training article on how to maximize your small groups using our small group format—a great resource to equip your small group leaders.

Discussion Questions:

AROUND THE CIRCLE: As we start, I want everybody to say their name and their favorite genre of music.

ASK A FEW: What were some of the images or thoughts that impacted you as we listened to the song?

ASK SOMEONE: What conclusion does the songwriter come to about God?

ASK A FEW: Have you ever had a time in your life when you thought to yourself, “God must be too busy to do anything about ________ right now?” Is anyone courageous enough to share that story?

ASK A FEW: What are some of the things that you have seen or heard about in the last week that would make people say, “God must be too busy?”

ASK A FEW: When people say, “God must be too busy,” what do you think they are really feeling about Him in their hearts?

Read the following passage:

40 Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. 41 Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with him to come to his house 42 because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.

As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. 43 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years,[a] but no one could heal her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked.

When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.”

46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”

47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48 Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

49 While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don't bother the teacher anymore.”

50 Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don't be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”

51 When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child's father and mother. 52 Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.”

53 They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” 55 Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat.

ASK A FEW: As we read this story, did Jesus sound “busy” to you? (Leader – Jesus was incredibly busy trying to answer all of the demands from the crowd, Jairus, and the unnamed woman. He was REALLY busy!)

ASK SOMEONE: What were some of the things Jesus did for others in this short story? (Leader – Jesus was helping the crowd, He offered to go to Jairus’ house, He healed the unnamed woman, He resurrected the little dead girl, and He even asked for her to be given some food.)

ASK SOMEONE: But, at any point, did Jesus say, “I’m too busy right now”?

ASK A FEW: Let’s go one step further with this story. Throughout this series of events, what does Jesus’ attitude seem to be? Is he frustrated or angry with the crowd and individuals who need Him, or does He seem to be compassionate with people’s needs. Why do you think so?

ASK A FEW: How do you think each of the people that Jesus was helping felt about Him and the time and care He invested in them?

Leader Say:

“You know, this story seems to sharply contradict the overriding message of the song we just heard. The song’s message was, “God must be too busy to help me,” but this story from Jesus’ life, who, by the way IS God, tells us the exact opposite – that God IS willing to take all the time necessary to care for people. But, the song does raise some circumstances in which it seems God is, in fact, too busy to help us. So, let’s take a look at some of the most common circumstances that make people think God is too busy to help.”

God’s Thoughts About Us and Promises To Us
For this section of the small group time, have each student look up the Bible passage, and answer the question you ask in reference to it. Assign the passages all at once, before you start, so students have ample time to look up the verse(s).

Bible Passage #1: John 11:41-42
Question #1: Part of the song talks about whether or not God hears our prayers. What does the Bible say about whether or not God listens to our prayers?
ANSWER: Jesus said God always hears all of our prayers.

Bible Passage #2: 1 John 4:9
Question #2: If God really is too busy for us, then it stands to reason that He doesn’t truly love us. But, what does the Bible say about how much God loves us?
ANSWER: He loves us so much He sent Jesus to save us from our sin.

Bible Passage #3: Jeremiah 32:17
Question #3: Is God powerful enough to help us in our situations?
ANSWER: God is so powerful that nothing is too hard for Him.

Bible Passage #4: Romans 8:35-39
Question #4: When we face devastating situations in life, is God able to help us?
ANSWER: There is no situation that God cannot overcome.

Bible Passage #5: Deuteronomy 31:6
Question #5: Instead of doubting God when times get tough, what should our attitude be?
ANSWER: We should have confidence that He is with us in the midst of our struggles.

Wrap Up:
Tonight we listened to a song that conveys a popular sentiment in most peoples’ lives, one that says, “God must be too busy to help me.” In the song, the singer points out all that can go wrong with life, and he is left wondering if God is simply too busy to do anything about our struggles.

But we also took a serious look at God’s Word to see what He had to say about the reality of our suffering, the questions we raise, and the doubts we have. What we learned was we have a God who loves us so much that He gave His life for us, and He is willing to walk step by step with us in the new life He has given us. And as we searched the Scriptures together, we found key promises that God makes to those who love Him and look for Him in the middle of life’s crisis.

Yet there may be some here who still find it hard to believe that God is so good when life can be so bad, at times. If that’s the case, let me tell you a true story that will hopefully help you understand why you can FIRMLY believe that God is good and totally loves you…even when life stinks and you don’t understand why.

(The author grants you permission to use this story)

I have a youth pastor friend named David who was recently blessed by God with the birth of his first son, Josiah. All that my friend David talks about these days is how much he loves his little boy, Josiah. But during the first week of Josiah’s life, he had to go to the doctor’s office for extensive blood tests. These blood tests indicate blood type, any potential disorder the baby may have such as an infection, and also whether or not the baby has any allergies, maybe even to milk. As far as importance goes, these tests are crucial…as far as pain goes, they are horrific.

The doctor has to poke several holes in the baby’s foot and then squeeze the wound to make blood drain out of them into vials and special paper that changes color to indicate certain results.

My friend reported that Josiah screamed in agony during the tests. His little body was in such pain, that he curled up his tiny arms and legs, fingers and toes, trying to escape the overwhelming sensation. But he was helpless against a doctor and nurse armed with needles and tourniquets.

My friend David stood there with tears in his eyes, listening to his only son shriek in pain due to the needles and procedures. David didn’t want Josiah to suffer, but he knew that unless Josiah underwent these incredibly important tests, he might become sick and actually die! So my friend stood there, calmly stroking his little boy’s forehead while he cried, because he knew that this pain Josiah was feeling was only temporary, and would save his life.

That’s the exact same way it is with God. He hates to hear us cry, to see us suffer, and to know we ache. But He knows SO much more than we do. He knows what we will become after the struggle, if we trust Him. He knows how this will purify us for the future. He knows everything.

Plus, when we hurt, God is there, just like my friend David was for his son, reaching out to comfort us.

Tonight, if you are going through a difficult time, and you’ve been thinking, “God must be too busy,” then stay a few minutes after we finish up, and let’s talk. I promise you our God is NOT too busy for you!

Close in Prayer

Written by David R. Smith