Listen, God! I Have Been Betrayed by a Friend

Our hearts sometimes cry out, "Listen, God!"

"Please, listen to me!"

If you follow the common lectionary suggested readings, you will get a steady diet of the psalms over and over.

That is because it is both our prayer book and our hymnal for daily living.

Every emotion is expressed in the Book of Psalms at least once.

They give words and expression to our feelings. They are not telling us how to feeling; they are helping us express how we feel, whether or not our attitudes need to be adjusted.

Sometimes the adjustment suggestion shows up in the psalm; sometimes, everything is left dangling.

I have often written on Psalm 55, below, but, today, I want to focus on one emotion: the feeling of betrayal by someone we love, trust, and consider close.

While there are always at least two sides to every story, is the the side that expresses the emotions of the one who feel betrayed.

"For had it been an adversary who taunted me,
then I could have borne it; *
or had it been an enemy who vaunted himself against me,
then I could have hidden from him.
But it was you, a man after my own heart, *
my companion, my own familiar friend.
We took sweet counsel together, *
and walked with the throng in the house of God."

There it is.

Have you never felt that way?

Many have had those feelings. Many have survived them, while others have chosen to cling to them rather than take them to God as the Psalmist did.

They may have festered.

They may have colored all of your future relationships.

They may have poisoned your friendships and trained you to be untrusting.

The better solution is to do what the Psalmist did: Express them in prayer to God and let God begin to help you sort them out.

In a world of imperfect people in process, we will all be betrayed and we will all be betrayers.

We all need grace and we all need to be formed into something more compassionate, resilient, and real.

Real prayer is about authenticity.

Find your emotions in the Psalms and pray them freely with faith, trust, and a sense that the God who hears you, understands and can heal you.

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Psalm 55 NRSVU

Recent compositions based upon ancient spiritual songs, by Duncan and Shona Cullens,

All their music is available to download for free in the link below

www.scottishpsalmist.co.uk

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Hear my prayer, O God; *
do not hide yourself from my petition.

Listen to me and answer me; *
I have no peace, because of my cares.

I am shaken by the noise of the enemy *
and by the pressure of the wicked;

For they have cast an evil spell upon me *
and are set against me in fury.

My heart quakes within me, *
and the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

Fear and trembling have come over me, *
and horror overwhelms me.

And I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! *
I would fly away and be at rest.

I would flee to a far-off place *
and make my lodging in the wilderness.

I would hasten to escape *
from the stormy wind and tempest.”

Swallow them up, O Lord;
confound their speech; *
for I have seen violence and strife in the city.

Day and night the watchmen make their rounds upon her walls, *
but trouble and misery are in the midst of her.

There is corruption at her heart; *
her streets are never free of oppression and deceit.

For had it been an adversary who taunted me,
then I could have borne it; *
or had it been an enemy who vaunted himself against me,
then I could have hidden from him.

But it was you, a man after my own heart, *
my companion, my own familiar friend.

We took sweet counsel together, *
and walked with the throng in the house of God.

Let death come upon them suddenly;
let them go down alive to the grave; *
for wickedness is in their dwellings, in their very midst.

But I will call upon God, *
and the Lord will deliver me.

In the evening, in the morning, and at noonday,
I will complain and lament, *
and he will hear my voice.

He will bring me safely back from the battle waged against me; *
for there are many who fight me.

God, who is enthroned of old, will hear me and bring them down; *
they never change; they do not fear God.

My companion stretched forth his hand against his comrade; *
he has broken his covenant.

His speech is softer than butter, *
but war is in his heart.

His words are smoother than oil, *
but they are drawn swords.

Cast your burden upon the Lord,
and he will sustain you; *
he will never let the righteous stumble.

For you will bring the bloodthirsty and deceitful *
down to the pit of destruction, O God.

They shall not live out half their days, *
but I will put my trust in you.

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Hear this beautiful reflection on the Psalm.