“God, the One enthroned from long ago, will hear and humiliate them.”

We take our complaints unto God - our sorrows and our tears - when Satan and false brethren are against us. We don’t battle in the flesh with the weapons of this world, but having God in prayer, we concede our cares to Him. When people you loved turn against you, it can be devastating, but the Lord went through it and so did the Psalmist. He said:

“Now it is not an enemy who insults me--otherwise I could bear it; it is not a foe who rises up against me--otherwise I could hide from him. But it is you, a man who is my peer, my companion and good friend! We used to have close fellowship we walked with the crowd into the house of God [vs12-14].”

Have you been betrayed or backstabbed by a member of God’s family? I don’t mean a heretic, but one who claimed all the points of grace? Has a TULIP believer troubled you unjustly and friend turned to foe? If so, then you are in good company and must take heart. These things make us like Christ, though they hurt. They conform us into His blessed Image who did no evil, neither was guile found in His mouth. He suffered unjustly at the hands of people He cared for, and as we suffer, we see what it felt like, what He endured, and we become like Him in patience. Paul wanted to know the fellowship of His sufferings, and so must you and I [Phil 3:10]!

Don’t let it discourage you! God is still faithful and walks with those who walk with Him. He will never let an accusation turn you from His presence, and there is no door that man can shut. There is nothing they can do to you! He says, “I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door, which no one can shut [Rev 3:7].” He is not a judge who can be bribed: He sees right and wrong, and the soul trusting Him will never be forsaken. Take your petition to God. Rely upon Him and pour out your complaints. David says, “But I call to God, and the LORD will save me. Morning, noon, and night, I cry out in distress, and He will hear my voice [Ps 55:16-17].”

He knows how it feels, and you’ll comfort others by the comfort He gives you. “It’s supposed to hurt”, like the old ball coach said, but it’s to make you better and glorify His name. Martin Luther thanked the Lord for the trials, because they humble pride and fix us on Christ, and we must thank Him also.

Yes, it hurts. It rips down into your soul, but be a man and do everything in love [1 Cor 16:13-14]. We don’t want our enemies destroyed, but we want their schemes unmasked, and this is right - not that they die, but that they don’t have the power to take us off from preaching Christ or hinder the purpose that God gave us. Paul would preach, people would nearly worship him, and then the Jews would come, stir them up, and the same people would try to kill him [Acts 14]. This tells us that man is fickle, and he’s not to be trusted, not even our closest friend - not with the full fledged confidence of the Lord. Man is but a vapor, and he is but dust, and even David killed his friend Uriah.