Betrayed

A good friend asked, “How are you doing.” The response was, “Pretty good, under the circumstances.” To this the friend responded, “What are you doing ‘under’ the circumstances – try being ‘under’ God’s grace.”

Once I was at the beach on a very overcast day thinking that because I couldn’t see the Sun, I didn’t need any sunscreen. After spending the entire day out, sunburned I painfully learned the lesson – even if I couldn’t see the Sun, it still was at work. That is an example of this teaching – even when we can’t see Him at work, God is faithfully working on our behalf.

Betrayal. A word that can cause even the strongest of heart to tremble. Who hasn’t at some time in their life felt that someone had betrayed them? Even Jesus was betrayed by Judas, a disciple. We need to understand that we can live beyond the circumstances we are involved in. Joseph went through a lot of life’s circumstances to arrive at the point where God was preparing him – to be the one who would save his family – and in turn, the line of Christ.

We see in Genesis 37 the brothers of Joseph discussing killing him, however Reuben intervened and sought for them to just toss him into a pit. The Hebrew word used here for pit – bore – can be translated a pit or cistern, a well, or a dungeon or jail. The ones who should have been protecting and watching over him became the ones who betrayed him. They imprisoned him because of their jealousy and hatred. I am sure that Joseph could not understand how any of this could be for his good. Often when we are betrayed we feel as if we are in a dungeon – dark and separated from all that is good.

Consider how today there are those who we look up to, we trust, we place on a pedestal – only to see them stumble, fall, or worse betray us directly. How we respond speaks to where our faith is ultimately placed. Faith in earthly things will fail. Faith must be in the One Who is ever faithful, Who is ever trustworthy, Who is constantly working all things for our good (Romans 8:28), even when it seems that there are clouds blocking the way. The old statement of C. H. Spurgeon rings true, “If I cannot trace His hand, I can always trust His heart.”