A Daily Devotional And Reading From The Psalms
Psalm 55:10–14
10 Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof:
Mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.
11 Wickedness is in the midst thereof:
Deceit and guile depart not from her streets.
12 For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it:
Neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:
13 But it was thou, a man mine equal,
My guide, and mine acquaintance.
14 We took sweet counsel together,
And walked unto the house of God in company.
What do you do when one of your ride or die people decide to no longer ride with you? What if someone that you thought was a BFF reveals themselves to be far less? What if that friend didn’t just jump ship but became an enemy? That is the predicament of David when he penned this Psalm. His son had led a coup and usurped his father’s throne. David had to flee from his home in order to save his own life. The predicament worsened for David when he got the news that his most trusted counselor, a man he considered one of his best friends, Ahithophel had sided with his son (2 Samuel 15:31). The wisdom of Ahithophel was unsurpassed in David’s kingdom. Look at what the Bible says about his counsel.
2 Samuel 16:23
And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.
Ahithophel was so savvy, so smart, that asking him for guidance was almost as though you were asking the Lord for advise. Many Bible teachers believe that Psalm 55 was written when David heard the news of this friend’s betrayal. For what it is worth, I strongly believe the scholars are correct in that assumption. The betrayal of Ahithophel was devastating to David. I have often wondered with all that wisdom how could Ahithophel make such a wrong choice? How could such a smart guy pick the wrong horse to ride? I believe I found a good guess when I discovered this wise man’s family connections to David. It turns out that Ahithophel was the grandfather of Bathsheba. You know Bathsheba, the gal David had an affair with and then covered up by sending her husband to certain death. Could it be that the fiasco with Ahithophel’s granddaughter left hard feelings festering for years? Could it be that he held a grudge against David for those sins? Is it possible that instead of confronting his friend and salvaging the friendship he began a plot for revenge? Perhaps there are lessons here for a potential betrayer and also for the one betrayed. If your friend has done you wrong then please don’t be like Ahithophel. Don’t let something fester and cloud your good judgement. Listen to our Lord’s instructions.
Matthew 18:15
Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
Don’t be an Ahithophel, tell that friend what they have done. Tell them how they have hurt you. Give yourself a chance to regain a friend. Friends, real friends are not that easy to find. Obey the Lord and retain a friend at the same time.
If the shoe is on the other foot, if someone has let you down, left you hanging, stabbed you in the back, then respond like David in Psalm 55. Talk to the Lord about it. Pray about it and let the Lord help ease that pain. Remember, Jesus knows what it is like to be betrayed. He too has felt the kiss from a false friend. Jesus will never treat you that way, he is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. He won’t leave you hanging or let you down. He is the one you can always trust.