How to Handle Betrayal!

Psalm 109

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

1 My God, whom I praise,
    do not remain silent,
2 for people who are wicked and deceitful
    have opened their mouths against me;
    they have spoken against me with lying tongues.
3 With words of hatred they surround me;
    they attack me without cause.
4 In return for my friendship they accuse me,
    but I am a man of prayer.
5 They repay me evil for good,
    and hatred for my friendship.

The context of this psalm is David is asking God to bring justice to his attackers who have accused him with lies.  Though David has tried to be a friend to them, they have betrayed him, which intimates that this was within the Jewish community.  If you read the rest of the psalm, David in no uncertain terms calls for God to curse his enemies.  Obviously David feels slighted in a very significant way.

It is important to note that David does not advocate that he should take vengeance into his own hands.  He trusts in God to avenge his foes. At the end of the psalm, you can see just how badly this has affected him. 

"For I am poor and needy,
    and my heart is wounded within me.
23 I fade away like an evening shadow;
    I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees give way from fasting;
    my body is thin and gaunt.
25 I am an object of scorn to my accusers;
    when they see me, they shake their heads."

Betrayal by a friend hurts deeply.  When others plot for your demise it is even worse.  It is natural for us to want to "hit" back.  David pours his heart out to God, and asks for God to right his cause.  David had fought many battles and was not afraid to slay a foe, but you can see his remarkable restraint in surrendering his thoughts of revenge to God.  He knows God will uphold his cause and he will continue to praise God for it.  

Where in your life do you feel like David?  Where do you feel tempted to return a wrong with another wrong?  Take David's lead and turn your anger toward this person(s) over to God!  Appropriatetly David closes with this prayer that would be good for us to pray.

26 Help me, Lord my God save me according to your unfailing love.
27 Let them know that it is your hand that you, Lord, have done it. Amen

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