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DEALING WITH BETRAYAL (Psalm 55)

Psalm 55 picks up where the previous psalm left off. It has a similar theme regarding how to avoid bitterness in difficult situations.

It is believed that this psalm was written during the rebellion of Absalom and the betrayal of Ahithophel, David’s dear friend and close counselor. The king had put tremendous confidence in him, and in the end, Ahithophel turned on him.

David faced betrayal from a family member and a friend. Talk about a double blow. He was hurting when he wrote Psalm 55.

Verses 1-3: “Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication. Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise; Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.”

That certainly sounds like the words of a hurting man. There are hurting people everywhere. Perhaps you are one of them. If so, you are not alone. The God who knows everything knows your hurts, and He hurts with you.

The Bible says in Hebrews 4:15, “For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” He feels your pain.

The depth of David’s pain turned to fear in verse 4. “My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.”

Sometimes disappointment turns into outright anxiety, and fear grips you. That is always a mark of the Devil. According to II Timothy 1:7, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” If fear has gripped your heart today, be very sure that it is your enemy who is trying to do that.

Look at Job 18:14. “His confidence shall be rooted out of his tabernacle, and it shall bring him to the king of terrors.” That is a reference to Satan, the head of all terror who wants to strike fear into all human hearts, especially those who have been given to God.

But here is some encouraging news. Notice what is written of Christ in Hebrews 2:14-15. “… that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”

How wonderful. Satan is the king of terrors, but Christ is the King of all. He conquered fear when He conquered death, Hell, and the grave. There is no reason to fear the Devil because Christ is greater. You do not have to fear your circumstances or even death for the same reason.

The worst thing in this life for a Christian is to die, at which time you go straight into the arms of a loving God for all eternity. We need to get a divine perspective on this. Job and David had fear, but God was greater. The same is true for us and our fear.

David expressed what so many of us have felt in verses 6-8. “And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah. I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.”

We all have this tendency to think, “If I could just get away.” A change of geography or circumstances seems like the answer. But when you come to the end of this psalm, you discover that a change like that was not a victory.

Verse 18: “He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me.”

It was not getting out of the battle or away from the storm that made everything right. It was God’s deliverance in the middle of the battle, or Jesus standing up in the storm's center and saying, “Peace, be still.”

Peace is not found in the absence of trouble but in the presence of God. The answer is not in getting rid of whoever caused the turmoil in your life, but in allowing the Lord to into your life.

You might think, “If I could just straighten out this one person or thing.” If you did that, something else would come along. You just need to discover the God who is able, loving, and kind — no matter what or who you are dealing with.

I want to challenge you to read all 23 verses of Psalm 55. But there is one basic application throughout, and it is encapsulated in verse 17. “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.”

David brought everything to God in a full day of prayer. What would happen to us if, instead of fussing or dwelling on the troubles we face, we set aside an entire day to pray?

The bad circumstances of life are, in the words of Matthew Henry, “not there to bind, but to remind.” Their purpose is not to restrict your life or suffocate you, but to remind you of your need for God. You cannot make it without Him. No man can fix your problems or change your circumstances, but God is able.

Verse 22: “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” That sounds like the familiar words of I Peter 5:7 - “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

Is your burden too heavy today? Is your grief too much to bear? Is the sadness just consuming you? Turn it all over to Jesus. Casting it onto your family or your pastor is not going to make you feel better, and carrying it by yourself is not possible.

Verse 23: “But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.”

At some point, you have to give it to the Lord and let Him take care of it.

“Alexander the coppersmith did me [Paul] much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works” (II Timothy 4:14).

“Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord … The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace” (Exodus 14:13-14).

Give your Absalom, Ahithophel, or Alexander to God and let Him take care of them. While you’re at it, commit yourself to Him afresh and anew. Let God have all of you, and you will find that the Lord is able not only to sustain you but to bring you out in great victory.