When the People You Trust Plan Your Demise

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Hope For The Betrayed

Have you ever had someone betray you and thought, “Well… I certainly didn't see THAT plot twist coming.”

Of course you didn't.

That's the problem with betrayal. Nobody sends you a calendar invitation saying, “Just a heads-up, I'm going to disappoint you Thursday afternoon.”

It usually comes out of nowhere.

Someone you trusted says something they shouldn't have said. Someone you loved walks away. Someone you defended turns around and hurts you. Suddenly you're standing there wondering, “Lord, what just happened?”

If you've been there, you're in good company. Just ask Joseph.

Joseph's brothers weren't exactly nominated for Family of the Year. They were jealous of him, threw him into a pit, and sold him into slavery.

Now, that's a family reunion I would probably skip.

Joseph had dreams about his future, but his brothers seemed determined to make sure those dreams never happened. Except they didn't know God was already writing a bigger story.

The pit wasn't the end. It was part of the plot. Joseph eventually ended up in Egypt, then in prison, and finally in a position of authority where he would save countless lives—including the lives of the brothers who had betrayed him.

Years later, Joseph looked back and said:

“You meant evil against me; but God meant it for good.” — Genesis 50:20

That's powerful because Joseph didn't pretend the betrayal hadn't happened. He didn't say, “Oh, it was no big deal.”

It was a big deal.

However, Joseph discovered something we sometimes forget: People can make decisions that hurt you without having the power to cancel God's purpose for your life.

By the way, King David knew something about unexpected betrayal, as well. He was betrayed by people close to him, including his own son, Absalom. Imagine having to leave your own kingdom because someone you love has decided they want what God gave you.

And then we come to Jesus.

Judas was one of the twelve. He walked with Jesus. He heard the teaching. Sat at the same table with him and witnessed the miracles, and then he betrayed Jesus with a kiss. A kiss! Talk about mixed signals.

Yet even Judas' betrayal could not stop the mission of Christ. The cross looked like the worst possible ending. Nevertheless, God had resurrection waiting on the other side.

Maybe that's the part we need to remember when betrayal becomes part of our story. We tend to think that if someone betrays us, something has gone terribly wrong. Sometimes it has.

Betrayal is painful. It can leave scars. It can make you question your judgment, your relationships, and even your ability to trust again.

Without sounding like an oxymoron, here is the positive side of betrayal:

God is not limited by the people who disappoint you. Sometimes betrayal exposes what you couldn't see otherwise. Sometimes it closes a door you were trying desperately to keep open. Sometimes it forces a reset, and sometimes, without realizing it, the very person who tried to derail you becomes part of the story God uses to redirect you.

That doesn't mean we call betrayal “good.” It means we trust God to bring good out of it.

Joseph still had to walk through the pit.

David still had to grieve the betrayal.

Jesus still had to endure the cross.

Regardless, none of them allowed the actions of another person to become the author of their future.

So if you're in a season where someone has betrayed you, pause here a moment. You don't have to understand the whole story today. You don't have to figure out what God is doing with every painful detail. And at last, please don't spend the next six months replaying the betrayal like it's a television series you somehow missed the final episode of and can’t get over it. Been there, done that. It leads to nothing but misery and much dismay.

Friend, give it to God.

Grieve it.

Learn from it.

Forgive where He leads you.

Then, set the boundaries you need to set, ...and keep moving.

Why? Because here's what Joseph eventually learned:

The people who become part of your painful chapter don't get to decide how your story ends. God does. Sometimes the plot twist you never would have chosen becomes the very thing that moves you toward the place you were always meant to be.

And that is...right in the center of God’s capable hands and perfect will for your life.

Selah.

Are you or is someone you know a victim of church abuse? With decades of ministry experience, Jane Morin offers a compassionate, insightful path to healing in her powerful book, “When The Church Hurts,” now in this revised edition. In this little handbook, you will find hope, healing and recovery from a wounded heart.

As a credible Bible teacher, mentor, and prolific award-winning author, Jane Morin draws from fifty years of ministry to provide a deeper understanding of scriptural references and an easier format to guide you on the road to restoration.

From the Author: This book is possibly the most powerful little book that I have ever written in my fifty years of ministry. I can only imagine that somewhere along the place of living for Christ, you have encountered church hurt or abuse, or know someone else who has. Church abuse comes in many disguises. Whether it is sexual misconduct, gossip, betrayal, lies, and actions that destroy lives, church abuse is running rampant in the body of Christ today. That is why I am so grateful that you found your way to this teaching designed to help you pick up the pieces of your broken heart and get you back on the path of running the race of faith again.

We are promised this: “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)

Friend, God is for you and He is always close to the brokenhearted! Due to the fallout of such actions by people whom you once trusted fully, one can become bitter, angry, resentful and even possess murderous thoughts. Manipulation, lies and distorted truths can wreck your life and cause you to become numb to the church, and to God.

If you are ready to begin a new journey, on the way to heal your heart, mind and spirit, and allow yourself to feel your heartbeat again, let’s get started!

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