Read
(A special psalm by David for the music leader. Use with stringed instruments.)
Betrayed by a Friend
1Listen, God, to my prayer!
Don't reject my request.
2Please listen and help me.
My thoughts are troubled,
and I keep groaning
3because my enemies attack
with loud shouts.
They treat me terribly
and hold angry grudges.
4My heart is racing fast,
and I am afraid of dying.
5I am trembling with fear,
completely terrified.
6I wish I had wings
like a dove,
so I could fly far away
and be at peace.
7I would go and live
in some distant desert.
8I would quickly find shelter
from howling winds
and raging storms.
9Confuse my enemies, Lord!
Upset their plans.
Cruelty and violence
are all I see in the city,
10and they are like guards
on patrol day and night.
The city is full of trouble,
evil, 11and corruption.
Troublemakers and liars
freely roam the streets.
12My enemies are not the ones
who sneer and make fun.
I could put up with that
or even hide from them.
13But it was my closest friend,
the one I trusted most.
14We enjoyed being together,
when we went with others
to your house, our God.
15All who hate me are controlled
by the power of evil.
Sentence them to death
and send them down alive
to the world of the dead.
16I ask for your help, Lord God,
and you will keep me safe.
17Morning, noon, and night
you hear my concerns
and my complaints.
18I am attacked from all sides,
but you will rescue me
unharmed by the battle.
19You have always ruled,
and you will hear me.
You will defeat my enemies
because they won't turn
and worship you.
20My friend turned against me
and broke his promise.
21His words were smoother
than butter, and softer
than olive oil.
But hatred filled his heart,
and he was ready to attack
with a sword.
22Our Lord, we belong to you.
We tell you what worries us,
and you won't let us fall.
23But what about those people
who are cruel and brutal?
You will throw them down
into the deepest pit
long before their time.
I trust you, Lord!
Reflect
Betrayal. From the time Cain lured Abel into the fields, only to turn on his brother in a jealous rage, (Genesis 4:1-16) betrayal at the hands of a loved one has been a recurrent theme through the ages. It was no different for King David. While there is no exact date attached to this psalm, it could very well have been David’s troubled cry when Absalom, a favourite son, attempted to overthrow his father’s kingdom, along with one of David’s once-trusted advisors (2 Samuel 15-17).
Betrayal at the hands of enemies is to be expected. But not from those who once offered their wisest counsel and deepest devotion. David is left gasping at the sheer pain of it, feeling as though he may very well die. (And indeed, he could have, during that bloodthirsty time.)
“None are such real enemies as false friends,” writes the great 19th century pastor Charles Spurgeon. “Reproaches from those who have been intimate with us, and trusted by us, cut us to the quick; and they are usually so well acquainted with our peculiar weaknesses that they know how to touch us where we are most sensitive, and to speak so as to do us most damage.”
Where does one go when it hurts this much? David clings to the hope that God will hear his cry. “Our Lord, we belong to you. We tell you what worries us, and you won’t let us fall,” he writes. When everyone else turns their backs, he trusts God will not. He clings to that lifeline, believing that somewhere, somehow, God will set things right again.
Respond
Lord, you are my hope and ever present help in times of trouble. You hear my cry even when my friends abandon me. Be my comfort when the hurt overwhelms. Please fill me with your peace that passes all understanding; help me to trust that you will set things right again. Amen.
Kelly Rempel
Kelly Rempel is a wife, mother of two, writer and Jesus-follower. She lives in Winnipeg, MB where she is developing her passion for introducing children and their families to Jesus in her role as Family Ministry Director at Braeside Evangelical Church. She formerly served as the Senior Editor for ChristianWeek, a national publication focused on Christian faith and life in Canada (and beyond). She grew up in northern B.C., obtained her journalism diploma at Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton, and attended Bethany Bible Institute (now Bethany College) in Hepburn, SK, before moving to Winnipeg. In her spare time, Kelly enjoys trying her hand at various creative pursuits.