“Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” (Ps 20:7, NIV2)

How many of us have been disillusioned by those who we truly thought were friends. Have you ever experienced something similar to the following passage from the book of psalms: “And this, my best friend, betrayed his best friends; his life betrayed his word. All my life I’ve been charmed by his speech, never dreaming he’d turn on me. His words, which were music to my ears, turned to daggers in my heart.” (Ps 55:20-21, MSG)?

Can we count on anyone? Even family?

“Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death…” (Matt 10:21, ESV)

Rise up against Parents? Is this even possible? But then, we have all been disillusioned by others, even those we are close to. Ask the young girl who is being abused by her own father. Ask the wife who is served divorce papers. Ask those whose best friends have hurt them deeply. Is it any wonder we have problems with trust?

Wallace, the hero of Scotland, also experienced betrayal on several occasions. The worst betrayal happened on August 3rd, 1305, where he was captured by Sir John Menteith. Sir John, a Scotsman, had once stood alongside Wallace fighting against the British. He had switched sides, swearing allegiance to King Edward I, who rewarded him by promoting him to sheriff and keeper of Dumbarton castle.

Wallace was immediately taken to England so that no one would notice what had happened. He was condemned for murder, arson, robbery and treason. Neither jury, nor defence lawyers were needed.

For his supposed treason, he was dragged behind horses four miles to Smithfield. For murder, arson and robbery, he was hanged. However, he was cut down before he could die, as the king also wanted him to be castrated and disemboweled. His internal organs were burned, and his head cut off and put on a spike on the London Bridge. The rest of his body was cut into four pieces and sent to four different locations.

Some argue that William Wallace wasn’t betrayed, while others think otherwise. What must Wallace have thought about being sold out to the English by one of his own clansman?

If anyone can betray us, what is left? Where is love when trust is but a fleeting notion?

Still, while we ponder this, we can see a hint of hope rising in the horizon: “For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me in.” (Ps 27:10, ESV) We have the assurance that our Heavenly Father will always take us in, accepting us with open arms.

David is the one who wrote Psalm 27. David also had been betrayed numerous times by his King, who was also his own father-in-law. He was also betrayed by his son, Absalom, by his brothers . . . Yet even amidst this adversity, he discovered the One he could really trust.

Even when he fell into temptation with a married woman and sent her husband to certain death; even though God was quite displeased with him, God never abandoned him. Centuries later, God still bragged about David, saying: “I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.” (Acts 13:22, ESV)

David repented bitterly, as he was the one who betrayed his God; but God never ever betrayed David. David found out through all this that God is truly faithful and His love is subliminal: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13, NIV2)

We were the ones who wandered away from our Father, but He never left us. God did everything necessary for us to be reconciled with Him. In God we truly can trust, guaranteed as vouched by the resurrected One!

Should we hate those who betray us? If we do, we are no better than they. After all, how many times haven’t we betrayed our God, yet He still loves us insatiably.

We may lose our heads, but we will never lose our souls. Our Father is trustworthy!

Rob Chaffart