HEALING AND RECOVERY FROM BETRAYAL, REJECTION AND ABANDONMENT
Psalms 55:1-23
Betrayed and rejected by his own son and abandoned by his most trusted adviser, David escaped to the Mount of Olives weeping. Out of this devastating experience, he wrote Psalms 55. First hand, he learns the lesson on how to recover from the pit of rejection, betrayal and abandonment
2 Samuel 15:30-31
30 David walked up the road to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went. His head was covered and his feet were bare as a sign of mourning. And the people who were with him covered their heads and wept as they climbed the hill. 31 When someone told David that his adviser Ahithophel was now backing Absalom, David prayed, “O LORD, let Ahithophel give Absalom foolish advice!”
Absalom his own son led an insurrection and David was forced to run for his life to the Mount of Olives with some people who remain loyal to him. But to make the situation even painful for David, Ahithophel his most trusted friend and adviser abandon him and joined with the uprising against him.
The agony in the heart of David was vividly depicted in Psalms 55:12-14
12If it were an enemy insulting me, I could bear it. If it were my enemies attacking me, I could hide. 13 But it is you, the one so close to me, my companion, my good friend, who does this.14 We used to share our secrets with one another, as we walked through the crowds together in God’s Temple.
The aggravating fact about betrayal, rejection and abandonment is that they do not comes from the enemies or outsiders.
David has come from the same valley that many people are experiencing today! Let us learn how he found healing and recovery from the anguish of Betrayal, Rejection and Abandonment!
Step by step in Psalms 55:1-15, David describe some facts how betrayal and rejection affect the whole being of its victim.
A – DAVID REVEALS THE FACTS ABOUT BETRAYAL, REJECTION AND ABANDONMENT
Psalms 55:1-15
1. IT IS EMOTIONALLY DEVASTATING
1 God, hear my prayer. Don’t ignore my cry for help. 2 Please listen and answer me. Let me speak to you and tell you what upsets me. 3 My enemies shout at me and threaten me. In their anger they attack me. They bring troubles crashing down on me.
B.R.A – is punisher of emotions.
2. IT IS PHYSICALLY DAMAGING
4 My heart is pounding inside me.I am afraid to die.5 I am trembling with fear. I am terrified!
a) IT CAUSE NERVOUSNESS- “My heart is pounding inside m”
b) IT CREATES PANIC - “am afraid to die”
c) IT SUCKS STRENGTH - “am trembling with fear”
d) IT PARALYSE – “I am terrified”
3. IT IS PSYCOLOGICALLY DEMORALIZING
6 Oh, I wish I had wings like a dove. I would fly away and find a place to rest. 7I would go far into the desert and stay there. Selah 8I would run away. I would escape from this storm of trouble.
Betrayal, Rejection and Abandonment are extremely demoralizing. They cause the victim to give up or wish that they never exist. Sometimes they wish they can easily run from reality and escape into realm of fantasy.
4. IT IS IT IS SPIRITUALLY DEBILITATING
9 My Lord, confuse their words and stop their plans. I see so much cruelty and fighting in this city.10 Day and night, in every neighborhood, the city is filled with evil and trouble. 11 There is so much crime in the streets. People who hurt and cheat others are everywhere
Betrayal, rejection and abandonment can exaggerates and magnify the real problems. It creates other imaginary problems in the mind. It reduces the faith and confidence that it portrait the problem bigger and God smaller
5. IT IS HELPLESSLY DISABLING
12If it were an enemy insulting me, I could bear it. If it were my enemies attacking me, I could hide. 13 But it is you, the one so close to me, my companion, my good friend, who does this.
The most complicated enemies are your former allies. They know your secrets, weakness, past failures and even the weapons required how to hurts, defeats and totally disable you.
6. IT IS RELATIONALLY DESTROYING
14 We used to share our secrets with one another, as we walked through the crowds together in God’s Temple. 15 I wish death would take my enemies by surprise! I wish the earth would open up and swallow them alive,[a] because they plan such terrible things together.
The good old memories with his former friend and now his enemy are haunting David’s mind. If he can only delete the past or undo the present that may probably lessen the pain in his heart. As it is known to everyone, trust always comes first before betrayal.
Done in Describing how rejection and betrayal affect its victim, David move forward and start describing the healing process in Psalms 55:16-23
B – DAVID DESCRIBES HOW HE OVERCOMES REJECTION, BETRAYAL AND ABANDOMENT
Psalms 55:16-23
1. CALL GOD FOR HELP EXPECTANTLY
16 I will call to God for help, and the LORD will save me.
David did not hide longer on the cave of agony and defeat. He knows how to rise up from that dreadful situation. He pulled the best weapons on the arsenal of divine warrior, the same weapon that he use to kill Goliath and won the victory for Israel.
David is a slinger from youth. He knows how to fight in the long range. He used the sling of prayer. He called God for help! Then he throws the stones of faith declaration. Right away, he declared that the Lord will save him!
2. TELL GOD YOUR PROBLEM HONESTLY
17 I speak to God morning, noon, and night. I tell him what upsets me, and he listens to me!
No wonder he was called by God as “man after God’s own heart”. He tells God directly and honestly what upsets him on that moment. He is also confident that God is listening. He consistently comes to God and brings all his problems to him. He knows that victory is won first on the knees.
3. LEAN NOT ON YOUR OWN ABILITY
18 I have fought in many battles, but he has always rescued me and brought me back safely.
David understands that he has to do something to the best of his abilities. It is faith to do something. But it is also clear to him that God is the one who gives the victory.
4. TRUST GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY
19 God, who has always ruled as king, will hear me and punish my enemies. Selah But they will never change.They don’t fear and respect God.
It is comforting to know that in spite of all the problems, God still sits on his throne and rule as a sovereign king. God knows and controls everything even our enemies. No matter how dark our situation today, God has a purpose for everything and our future is in God’s hand.
5. LEARN YOUR LESSON FROM PAST MISERY
20 This one who was once my friend now attacks his friends. He is breaking every promise he made.21 His words about peace are as smooth as butter, but he has only war on his mind. His words are as slick as oil, but they cut like a knife.
David learns the lesson in hard way that he should put his trust on God and not on men. He may be relying more on Ahithophel for advices that sometimes he forget to ask counsel from God. Now that his most trusted adviser defected to the enemy’s side, he has no one to run to but God
6. GIVE YOUR WORRIES TO GOD UNDOUBTEDLY
22 Give your worries to the LORD, and he will care for you. He will never let those who are good be defeated.
David understands that his job is to be faithful to God. He should not worry about his problem because He will not allow those faithful to be defeated.
7. TRUST DIVINE JUSTICE CONFIDENTLY
23 But, God, you will send those liars and murderers to the grave. They will die before their life is half finished! As for me, I will put my trust in you.
Leave space for God’s wrath. Vengeance is the Lord’s. Just focus on serving God and not on your enemies. To retaliate is not our business. Leave their punishment and destiny to God.
C – CHRIST CAME ON THAT SAME PLACE OF OUR HURTS AND PAIN TO GIVE US COMPLETE HEALING
What an amazing fact! On the same Mount Olive where David run for his life, Jesus the son of God experience a more devastating betrayal, rejection and abandonment by his most trusted disciples.
At the foot of Mount Olive is the famous Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prayed overnight before his arrest that led to his crucifixion. On that same place, Judas betrayed Jesus with the kiss and Peter with all other disciples abandoned him.
1. Judas, one of the 12 closest disciples of Jesus conspires with the leading priest to kill him:
Matthew 26:14-15 NLT
14 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went to the leading priests 15 and asked, “How much will you pay me to betray Jesus to you?” And they gave him thirty pieces of silver.
2. The kiss of a traitor describes the worst of betrayal and treachery.
Matthew 26:48-50
48 The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss.” 49 So Judas came straight to Jesus. “Greetings, Rabbi!” he exclaimed and gave him the kiss.50 Jesus said, “My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for.”Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him.
3. Peter and all other disciples declared their support for Jesus till death. But the same people who declared support for him abandon him on that same night.
Matthew 26:35
But Peter declared, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the other disciples said the same.
4. The crowd that represented the whole people of Israel also rejected Jesus. They chose Barabbas rather than Jesus
Matthew 27:21-22 NCV
21 Pilate said, “I have Barabbas and Jesus. Which do you want me to set free for you?” The people answered, “Barabbas.”22 Pilate asked, “So what should I do with Jesus, the one called the Christ?”They all answered, “Crucify him!”
5. With all the pain and suffering that he received, Jesus did not retaliate.
1 Peter 2:23
23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
6. This rejection, betrayal and suffering was foretold long time ago by the prophet
Isaiah 53:3 NLT
He was despised and rejected— a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.
7. People misunderstood his suffering and thought his troubles were punishment from God for his own sins.
Isaiah 53:4 NLT
Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows[a] that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins!
8. But the reason of his sufferings is our healing.
Isaiah 53:5-6 NCV
But he was wounded for the wrong we did; he was crushed for the evil we did. The punishment, which made us well, was given to him, and we are healed because of his wounds. 6 We all have wandered away like sheep; each of us has gone his own way. But the LORD has put on him the punishment for all the evil we have done.
D. WE HAVE ENOUGH REASONS NOT TO HARBOR ANGER AND BITTERNESS DURING BETRAYAL, REJECTION AND ABANDONMENT
1. BECAUSE LOVE DOES NOT KEEPS RECORD OF WRONG
1 Corinthians 13:5 NIV– Love:
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
2. BECAUSE WE ARE PEOPLE OF BLESSING AND NOT CURSE
1 Peter 3:9 NIV
9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
3. BECAUSE WE ARE COMMANDED TO LOVE EVEN OUR ENEMIES
Matthew 5:44
44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,[a]
4. BECAUSE JESUS SET US THE BEST EXAMPLE
Psalm 41:9 NKJV
Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.
Matthew 26:50 NET
Jesus said to him, "Friend, do what you are here to do." Then they came and took hold of Jesus and arrested him.
1 Peter 2:23
23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
