The wound of betrayal can cause relational trauma, or pain that not only hurts feelings, but breaks trust. We can forgive, but it's hard to forget how someone we helped became someone who ignored, hurt, and even mocked us when we fell. But the psalms give space to the voice of the wounded. The psalmist does not mask his feelings. He poured them out before God honestly and bitterly.

The psalmist tells it plainly: those he once prayed to are now laughing at him. They mock, clench their teeth, and even cheer his misfortune. In the midst of feeling betrayed, he did not hold a grudge, but turned his suffering into prayer. The psalmist brought the pain before God instead of swallowing it himself. This was all done with the realization that justice belongs to God. His plea was made for God not to be silent, but to "see" and defend him.

Friends of the Bible, some of us may think that the prayers raised by the psalmist are quite harsh, but at the same time the cry is actually very human. The psalmist doesn't wrap up the wound with normative words that can only exacerbate the suffering. In a world that loves image and false power, the psalmist invites us to come before God honestly. Bringing a fragile heart, not a mask of false courage, and directed towards a relationship with God Himself. We are invited to be honest with the pain we are experiencing, especially when we experience similar situations, namely when our kindness is abused. Remember that God is not just a listener to complaints, He is a faithful advocate. So when words fail us, let prayers like this Psalm be our voice. For it is there that we discover that true justice and deepest comfort come only from the One who sees all and never stands still.