October 12
Betrayed,
But Not Broken
"Turn your worries over to the Lord. He will keep you going. He will never let godly people be shaken."
Psalm 55:22 (NIrV)
Martha held onto her coffee cup tightly, her heart pounding in her chest. Across the table, Julie stirred her latte with slow, deliberate movements, her eyes flickering with something unreadable.
"So… how are things going, really?" Julie asked, her voice casual, but her tone just a little too careful.
Martha swallowed hard. She knew that look, that hesitant way people spoke when they knew something. Her stomach twisted.
"What do you mean?" Martha forced a smile, trying to keep her voice steady.
Julie hesitated, glancing down at her drink. "I mean, I know things have been… tough for you lately. I just want you to know I’m here for you."
The words hit like a slap. Cold. Sharp.
Only one person knew.
Lindsay.
Just last week, Martha had sat on Lindsay’s couch, hands shaking, voice breaking as she finally admitted the truth. I had to file for bankruptcy. The words had felt like knives as they left her lips, but Lindsay had nodded, her face full of understanding. You can trust me, she had said.
Liar.
Martha’s cheeks burned with humiliation. "Julie… how do you know that?"
Julie hesitated, then sighed. "Lindsay told me."
The room felt smaller, closing in around her. Shame rose in her throat like bile. She wanted to disappear, to rewind time and never have said a word. How could Lindsay do this? How could she take something so deeply personal, something Martha had barely been able to admit to herself, and toss it out like casual gossip?
Martha clenched her fists under the table, her mind spinning between fury and devastation. She felt exposed, as if her worst failure was now public property. Did everyone know? Were they whispering behind her back?
She wanted to scream. She wanted to storm out of the café. But instead, she just sat there, staring blankly at her untouched coffee, her heart hammering in her chest.
That night, she lay awake, replaying everything over and over. I should never have trusted her. The anger, the humiliation—it was suffocating.
But in the silence, another thought surfaced. God already knew.
She had been drowning in this secret, suffocated by the shame of almost losing everything. She had been too afraid to tell anyone for so long, but the truth was—she was never really alone in it. God had known every sleepless night, every tear, every desperate prayer.
And He had never turned His back on her.
Reaching for her Bible, her eyes landed on Psalm 55:22. Turn your worries over to the Lord. He will keep you going.
A slow breath escaped her lips. God, this hurts. I feel betrayed, embarrassed, angry. But I can’t carry this anymore. I’m giving it to You.
As the weight of it lifted just a little, she realized—Lindsay’s betrayal didn’t define her. Her failures didn’t define her.
God did.
And He wasn’t ashamed of her.
Prayer:
Dear Lord,
This pain feels unbearable.
I trusted someone, and they let me down.
Now I feel raw, exposed, humiliated.
But I know You see me, and You are not ashamed of me.
You are my safe place, the One who will never betray me.
Help me to let go of the bitterness and trust You to carry this weight for me.
Heal my heart, Lord, and remind me that my worth is not in what others say or think—it is in You alone.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
