Ever suffered a friendship gone sour? Of course you have. We all have.
Maybe a beloved relative let you down. Big time. Perhaps your cherished friend betrayed your trust after you’d deemed her safe and let her into your heart. That’s what happened to David. “As for this friend of mine, he betrayed me…” (Psalm 55:20, NLT).
In 2 Samuel, chapters 15-18, King David’s son, Absalom, plotted to steal his father’s throne, and recruited David’s close friend and trusted advisor, Ahithophel, to help him. Ahithophel spied on David while pretending to be his friend and secretly fed Absalom information to stoke the rebellion.
Ouch.
It became a full-blown conspiracy of multilayered deceit before the plot culminated in David fleeing the palace for his life, weeping over the betrayal of these two he’d loved, one his flesh and blood, one his dear friend. It’s believed that David wrote Psalm 55 during this time of grief.
Yep. Sure sounds like the way I’ve felt upon a friend’s betrayal; haven’t you?
“I am overwhelmed by my troubles,” (verse 2).
“Oh, how I wish I had wings … I would fly away and rest,” (verse 6).
“It is not an enemy who taunts me—I could bear that … Instead it is you—my equal, my companion and close friend. What good fellowship we enjoyed as we walked together…” (verses 12-14).
Betrayal leaves raw wounds that take time to heal. Possibly decades. The weight of the blunt hurt is so heavy, it feels like it might crush us. Sometimes scabbed-over wounds break open and need new attention to finally heal.
Have you been devastated by the festering wounds of a friend’s betrayal? Wearied by the lingering pain? Are you ready to ask your heavenly Father for help with this heartbreak?
Prayer: Great Healer, You alone can replace my anger, bitterness and regret with forgiveness, redemption and hope. Please begin the miracle of complete restoration in me today. Amen.
