The Pain of Betrayal: Psalm 55
“4) My heart is in anguish within me, And the terrors of death have fallen upon me. 5) Fear and trembling come upon me, And horror has overwhelmed me.
9) Confuse, O Lord, divide their tongues, For I have seen violence and strife in the city.
12) For it is not an enemy who reproaches me, Then I could bear it; Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me, Then I could hide myself from him. 13) But it is you, a man my equal, My companion and my familiar friend; 14) We who had sweet fellowship together Walked in the house of God in the throng.
21) His speech was smoother than butter, But his heart was war; His words were softer than oil, Yet they were drawn swords. 22) Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. 23) But You, O God, will bring them down to the pit of destruction; Men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days. But I will trust in You.” Psalms 55:4-5, 9, 12-14, 21 -23
I have selected a few verses from Psalm 55 that illustrates the pain of betrayal. The exact background of this Psalm is not known, but David had a close friend that turned on him.
They went from having sweet fellowship together to his adversary seeking his death. His speech in David’s presence was smoother than butter and positive, but behind his back he was plotting David’s downfall and death.
Many people have this happen to them. It can happen on ministry teams, to buisness associates and even in marriages that end in bitter divorce.
People can be two faced. They can speak peace to your face and at same time tear you down in your absence. The pain when the mask is removed can be overwhelming.
Few things are worse in life than betrayal. It cuts line knives. It can rip your guts open. It hurts, especially when you thought they were among your inner circle of close friends.
This happened to Jesus with Judas. The pain of that betrayal hurt as much as the crucifixion itself.
So, how do you deal with betrayal? Do you become bitter and hateful? It happens to many people. Some never recover from the pain of betrayal.
In this Psalm, David did the right thing; he took his hurt and pain to God. He looked to God for his healing and solitude. Once he had worked through his pain, he left his adversary in Gods hands while he moved forward with a clear conscience.
Make no mistake, it takes time and grace to work through betrayal. Sometimes healing and reconciliation happen. I always work toward that end. I would rather build bridges than walls. David worked on himself. He made God the guardian of his heart.
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
Sent from my iPhone
“4) My heart is in anguish within me, And the terrors of death have fallen upon me. 5) Fear and trembling come upon me, And horror has overwhelmed me.
9) Confuse, O Lord, divide their tongues, For I have seen violence and strife in the city.
12) For it is not an enemy who reproaches me, Then I could bear it; Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me, Then I could hide myself from him. 13) But it is you, a man my equal, My companion and my familiar friend; 14) We who had sweet fellowship together Walked in the house of God in the throng.
21) His speech was smoother than butter, But his heart was war; His words were softer than oil, Yet they were drawn swords. 22) Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. 23) But You, O God, will bring them down to the pit of destruction; Men of bloodshed and deceit will not live out half their days. But I will trust in You.” Psalms 55:4-5, 9, 12-14, 21 -23
I have selected a few verses from Psalm 55 that illustrates the pain of betrayal. The exact background of this Psalm is not known, but David had a close friend that turned on him.
They went from having sweet fellowship together to his adversary seeking his death. His speech in David’s presence was smoother than butter and positive, but behind his back he was plotting David’s downfall and death.
Many people have this happen to them. It can happen on ministry teams, to buisness associates and even in marriages that end in bitter divorce.
People can be two faced. They can speak peace to your face and at same time tear you down in your absence. The pain when the mask is removed can be overwhelming.
Few things are worse in life than betrayal. It cuts line knives. It can rip your guts open. It hurts, especially when you thought they were among your inner circle of close friends.
This happened to Jesus with Judas. The pain of that betrayal hurt as much as the crucifixion itself.
So, how do you deal with betrayal? Do you become bitter and hateful? It happens to many people. Some never recover from the pain of betrayal.
In this Psalm, David did the right thing; he took his hurt and pain to God. He looked to God for his healing and solitude. Once he had worked through his pain, he left his adversary in Gods hands while he moved forward with a clear conscience.
Make no mistake, it takes time and grace to work through betrayal. Sometimes healing and reconciliation happen. I always work toward that end. I would rather build bridges than walls. David worked on himself. He made God the guardian of his heart.
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
Sent from my iPhone
