Betrayal
Psalm 41:9
If you have never been betrayed, jump up and down and thank GOD, pray it never happens to you.
When you are betrayed, it is a dark, sickening feeling. Like you are spiraling down an endless tube with no grip, you are tumbling and sliding down uncontrollably. You can’t call anyone. You can’t reach out to any one, perhaps they are the ones in possession of the final weapon that will destroy you. Fear of worse sets in. You know you are now on your own. You have lost your sense of belonging. The isolation! The disbelief that those you trusted were against you all the time. You feel like a fool. You were set up and you fell for it. You suddenly understand why some people on this earth are heartless and cruel. You wonder how the aftermath will be. Then your mind says what after math, the people who did this, the people who are doing this are too close to home. You cannot even revenge, because if you do, the repercussions and ramifications will fall on your head.
How will you recover? Will you ever get back on your feet again? The damage is great and seemingly, yes, seemingly irreversible.
John 13:21 tells us that the betrayal of Judas troubled our LORD. So, to put it mildly, betrayal troubles , if it troubled our LORD, it has the capacity to shake you to the core.
You start something and you are edged out successfully. You pray for people, they recover and backstab you as they laugh, and in your heart you know that they will be back for prayers and you wonder if you can ever pray for them again. You discover all along that the people who you thought were for you, were never for you and indeed they were digging a pit for you. You confronted them and they stared blankly at you and went and sought reinforcements against you without batting an eyelid. Your emotions are going overboard. Your actions are limited. After all, you are a child of GOD, and you know, he says forgive. You cannot go outside HIS limits and word.
So what do you do?
Try this:
i. Leave them alone, maybe they’ll hang themselves like Judas and go to hell. Some people don’t need help to destroy themselves, they self destruct automatically.
ii. Forgive them, do what the Bible says, let GOD handle it, revenge is HIS. Beloved, i know you know and its needless to say, but let me write it, forgive them. This one you must do. Remember GOD forgave you some really horrendous sins,
iii. Be angry but do not sin. Do not do anything crazy or stupid. Remember this too shall pass.
iv. If there is absolutely no one to talk to. Hold your head in your hands, say something to The LORD. Something like, “FATHER, this is bad”. HE will probably say something like, “ I know, be still”, and you will feel instantly better just because HE knows. HE truly knows and cares. The ALMIGHTY GOD, OWNER of the universe knows and sees what is happening. HE must have something great cooking under HIS sleeve to let you go through all this. Remember Romans 8:28. Let’s take this back a bit, perhaps you should do this before you call anyone that is if you have someone you still trust.
v. Betrayal can really get your self confidence down several notches or knock you totally off any remaining pedestal in your life. Remember who you are, if this doesn’t work, remember Whose you are. Remember to be humble, maybe it is The LORD instilling the virtue of humility in you. We all know pride is a sure killer. So, Beloved, humble yourself and remember that The LORD still got your back.
vi. Get back to doing your work or fulfilling your calling. This is good as it will prevent you from chewing endless cud over the matter. So they got you. That’s all they could do. Now, you continue with your work. As my Pastor says no need to let people rent free rooms in your head by you thinking about them and what they did endlessly. get back to work Beloved, get back to work.
vii. Deep inside you want The LORD to avenge you. As you wait and crave for this, remember that:
a. Perhaps the wickedness of your enemies is not yet full to warrant full revenge. So, permit your betrayers to have their day and their say. Permit them their celebration. How else will they fulfill their portion of wickedness? Who knows the weight of their betrayal before the LORD especially where it concerns you, child of GOD? Some people disturbed Moses the earth swallowed them. I think you get the point.
b. Remember that you are also a sinner. The LORD is not giving you the Promised Land, that is, HE is not blessing you because you are a saint, it is because of HIS goodness, HIS promises and HE is tired of the wickedness of your enemies and HE wants their wickedness to reach maturity. Beloved, let me warn you at this point, that the same LORD removed the inhabitants from Canaan due to their wickedness and HE also went ahead and removed the descendants of Jacob from the land due to their wickedness. So, please eliminate any wickedness in your life or you will face the same fate you are praying for your enemies. Remember, The LORD has zero tolerance to sin, the Bible says those who dig pits for others will enter the pits themselves. This teaching existed way before the teachings of karma and what goes round comes round became trendy.
c. Pray that God turns the counsel your betrayers are receiving to nonsense. Remember David, Absalom and Ahithopel. At the end of the day , David was left standing.
d. If the people betraying you are so close and they die or are incapacitated in any way, you may be the one who needs to handle their affairs and estate, are you sure you want this? Are you ready for this? Beloved, count the cost. Let The LORD handle matters.
viii. Sometimes, beloved, just ran away. Eat humble pie and hide. David ran away and went away crying. This mighty David, left his beloved Jerusalem to run away from his son who had become his enemy and on the way he endured some salty insults that the scripture saw worthy to record, but the LORD brought him back to the city called by his name, the City of David. Beloved, GOD is faithful. Even in the darkest hour. He, who laughs last, laughs best. David had the last laugh over his enemies. So, will you, if you stick to GOD’s way of doing things. So, lock yourself away and let the heat die down. I know it’s embarrassing and humiliating, and you feel like losing it. Thank GOD nowadays we wear masks, so not everybody can point out who you are. Don’t lose it, wait it out, Beloved, wait it out.
ix. Beloved, don’t do the same thing to another person. Do not be the architect, mastermind or part of schemes to betray others. Psalm 1:1-6. Beloved, do not walk in the counsel of the wicked.
x. Analyze critically your situation, who knows, maybe you are reaping what you sowed. If you are, repent and let God work everything out, try making amends. Experience how the person you betrayed felt, that could be the lesson. But if you are innocent, consider it a life lesson. If possible, I know sometimes you can’t see these things coming, but be careful, tread carefully, pray for The HOLY SPIRIT to guide you and close all evil doors. Micah 7:5-7
xi. Finally, beloved, write down the many ways in which your situation could be worse. See, it could be worse. Thank GOD, it’s not.
Beloved, in every circumstance, we continue to walk in the ways of The LORD and ensuring that our names are not blotted out of The LAMB's Book of Life.
Beloved, the scripture informs us, "And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire." Revelation 20:15.
Do you want to know JESUS as your personal Lord and Savior? Your eternity is at stake! JESUS has opened the door of salvation to every person. But there is coming a day when the door will be closed. Today is the day of salvation. Choose to be in the family of GOD. JESUS died so that we can spend eternity in Heaven with HIM. Don't delay! And if you want to begin a relationship with GOD or resume a broken one, say this: O GOD, I come to YOU today. I know I am a sinner. I believe that JESUS died on the cross to save me and HE resurrected on the third day. I repent of my sins and forsake them. I confess JESUS as my LORD and SAVIOR . I invite JESUS into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank YOU JESUS for saving me and making me a child of GOD. Amen
