It happens and it hurts.  We all have enemies we can count on to disappoint us each time.  We learn over a period of time to not trust them.  After a while we just expect it and it no longer hurts.  What about our friends?

A friend or ally is the only person who can betray.  Enemies are ones we do not count on whereas friends we trust.  We are counting on their honesty, their faithfulness and prayers yet the whole time we trust they are betraying us.

A loving husband and child are peacefully content unaware that the wife has another boyfriend.  A beautiful high school senior prepares for the prom trusting she has a date totally unaware he has no plans to pick her up because he has another date.  A musician works hard to prepare a solo in an upcoming musical yet he hasn’t been told yet the solo was reassigned to a guest musician with a big name.

Betrayal has no good qualities and it only destroys trust.  Once the truth comes out, which it will, it’s like sand that runs through the fingers.  People can apologize for a lifetime but like with sifted sand, there is no way to get back every single grain.  Not only is the trust gone but we face the painful truth that our friend is gone too.  We start to realize that this friend may have never been our friend.

Moving on is not easy, especially when we have grown to trust someone.  We have a friend in Jesus.  He was betrayed to death by Judas.  Judas could have asked for forgiveness and he would have gotten it because Jesus is the perfect friend.  Peter betrayed Jesus by claiming not to know Him three separate times.  This was at a time when Jesus needed him the most.  However, Jesus forgave him and Peter became one of the biggest assets in furthering the gospel.

When we trust Jesus as our friend we can count on Him in all things.  When Jesus forgives, He restores every grain of sand and then more.

Psalm 55:20-23  Living Bible

This friend of mine betrayed me—I who was at peace with him. He broke his promises.  His words were oily smooth, but in his heart was war.  His words were sweet, but underneath were daggers.  Give your burdens to the Lord. He will carry them. He will not permit the godly to slip or fall.  He will send my enemies to the pit of destruction.  Murderers and liars will not live out half their days.  But I am trusting you to save me.