Betrayal is Not the End

Have you ever been betrayed? Has a friend ever promised one thing but done another? Married to a spouse who violated your wedding vows? Experienced a business partner who took your idea and pushed you out of the business?

Many people will experience betrayal at some point in their lives. In the Old Testament, Joseph was betrayed by his brothers. He was then sold into slavery. In the New Testament, Jesus was betrayed by one of His disciples, Judas. He was eventually crucified.

The Hurt of Betrayal is Like No Other

The hurt of betrayal is like no other hurt because it involves taking advantage of trust. That’s why only those close to another can betray. As Michael Card sings, “Only a friend can betray a friend. A stranger has nothing to gain.”¹

There are times we may feel abandoned by family or friends. Sometimes we may even feel betrayed by God. It might be great things we want to do for Him, faith in asking Him for an answered prayer, or feeling alone in times of great need. Emotions well up and we feel as if God has not kept His promises to us.

But, this is not true. God has never and will never betray us. His character will not allow it.

Everything Lost

Job is a man whose story is captured in the Old Testament book bearing his name. As wealthy as anyone around him, he enjoyed immense ownership of livestock and a large family. Then, seemingly in an instant, it was gone. Everything except his wife was lost via weather related accidents or murder and plunder from marauders. In the midst of his mourning Job cried out, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”²

Three of Job’s friends came by to mourn with him, then to question why these awful things had happened to one who claimed to fear God. Eventually, they were joined by a fourth. In all the questions (which must have felt like a cross-examination at times), Job held fast to the belief he had done nothing wrong to bring God’s judgment on himself. Finally, Job gives one of the greatest confessions in the entire Bible: “If I go east, He is not there, and if I go west, I cannot perceive Him. When He is at work to the north, I cannot see Him; when He turns south, I cannot find Him. Yet He knows the way I have taken; when He has tested me, I will emerge as pure gold.” (23:8-10)

God Never Betrays You

God will never abandon His children, even when others do. God will never betray His children, even when others have. God will never forget His children, no matter how rocky their way or how dark the valley of the shadow of death. “For I am persuaded that not even death or life, angels or rulers, things present or things to come, hostile powers, height or depth, or any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!”³

You can count on God!

Yours for the Great Commission,

Ronnie W. Floyd

Senior Pastor, Cross Church
General Editor, Bible Studies for Life
President, Southern Baptist Convention

¹– “Why?“ by Michael Card, EMI Music Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
²– Job 1:21 English Standard Version
³-Romans 8:38, 39 Holman Christian Standard Bible