Suffering: Betrayal, Like David
If an enemy were insulting me,
I could endure it;
If a foe were rising against me,
I could hide.
But it is you, a man like myself,
My companion, my close friend,
With whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship
At the house of God,
As we walked about
Among the worshipers.
Psalm 55:12-14 (NIV)
O my son Absalom! My son, my son Absalom! If only I had died instead of you—O Absalom, my son, my son!*
2 Samuel 18:33 (NIV)
David's life was colored by betrayal. He was betrayed by king, friends, family, and the nation God ordered him to lead. He was mocked, scorned, hunted, and tormented by the loss of support from those he loved.
Once, David himself was the betrayer– when he took a good soldier’s wife and life. However, the ‘Man after God’s own heart’ never betrayed his first Love, the Lord God, Who gave him life and commissioned him king.
Instead, David repented from his sins and forgave everyone who betrayed him.
Actors, models, and talent for Christ:
If you've given your life to God’s service, if the lawless days He forecast are here, Jesus also forecast YOUR betrayal.
Does His early warning make it hurt less? Most likely not. David’s psalms show his pain. But God’s strong support makes it bearable.
He is our safety and deliverance, and teaches us how to weather the storms.
'You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death, and you will be hated by all because of My Name. Yet not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance, you will gain your lives' (Luke 21:16-19).
Strange to say, we're told to count it all joy,
'If indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him' (Romans 8:17).
Thus, we can conclude…
We must endure, forgive, and press forward (which is easy to say, but hard to do.) Therefore, God sent us not only His Son, and not only His Spirit for comfort, but also a redefined family.
'Who is My mother and who are My brothers?' And stretching out His Hand toward His disciples, He said, 'Behold My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father Who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother' (Matthew 12:48-50).
Suffering: Betrayal, Like David (Part 16)
* Absalom secretly plotted and seized the throne from his father, David. Another son, Adonijah, later attempted it.
NOTE: God is my Ghostwriter. If what I write is good, it’s from God! We’re ALL called to be actors (action stars) for Jesus. We’re ALL called to models of Jesus, and we ALL have gifts, talents, and callings from God– to multiply them in the world for His glory.
P.S. NO DEVOTION, PREACHER, or SERMON… can begin to replace personal time in the Bible. I wholeheartedly and clear-headedly recommend READING THE BIBLE DAILY.
WARNING: Don’t focus on favorite verses, because out of context, they’re often misinterpreted. I plead with you to READ AT LEAST 1 BIBLE CHAPTER DAILY. How long does it take? An average of 5 to 10 minutes!