“You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, . . . you have aroused my anger and turned your back on me.” (1 Kings 14:9)
Expanded Passage: 1 Kings 11:26-38, 12:26-30, 14:5-10
Betrayal takes what is sacred—trust—and crushes our spirit. It leaves us wrestling with anger. It makes us question our decision to believe people from the past and hesitant to place our faith in others we encounter in the future.
God’s response to a lack of loyalty in 1 Kings is no different than our own gut reaction to betrayal. He says, “You have aroused my anger and turned your back on me” (v. 9). At some point, everyone experiences heartbreak from people that they love. Why would we be an exception if God himself has faced this challenge from fickle people? In fact, maybe we have been the source of God’s heartache at times because of our actions or attitudes.
Before we declare that no one can ever be trusted again after being hurt, we should examine how loyal God has been to his people throughout Scripture regardless of the betrayals or the anger they caused him. Trust is often earned through the avenue of loyalty. Loyalty goes both directions inside a relationship. Loyalty is not one-sided. It can and must be extended by two parties toward each other in order to be effective in building trust. As leaders, we often demand loyalty from our followers, but we should ask ourselves if we are loyal to them even when they make us angry.
Name someone who can benefit from your loyalty right now.
Sarah Cochran received an MDiv from Wesley Seminary and is an ordained Wesleyan pastor in the Florida District. She and her husband, Tom, work for an agency rescuing kids from trafficking.
© 2024 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
