“WHO EVER THOUGHT YOU WOULD DO THIS TO ME?”

Zechariah 13:6 “And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.”

There are seasons in life when pain arrives from places we never expected. It does not come from strangers or distant critics. It comes from the ones who walked with us, prayed with us, supported us, and shared our table. It comes from the ones we trusted with our heart and our journey. When the wound lands, it shakes the soul, and the heart whispers, “Who ever thought that you would do this to me?” These are the moments when disappointment feels heavier because it came from hands we once held with confidence.

Zechariah 13:6 gives language to this experience. The scripture says, “And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.” This prophetic picture points to Christ, yet it also reflects the human experience of betrayal and heartbreak. Jesus did not receive His wounds from enemies alone. He received them from Judas, who walked with Him. From Peter, who denied Him. From the disciples who fled. From the people who celebrated Him one day and rejected Him the next. He was wounded in the house of His friends.

Yet Jesus did not allow betrayal to stop His purpose. He did not allow disappointment to silence His assignment. He did not allow heartbreak to change His identity. Instead, He allowed the wound to become the pathway to redemption. He allowed the pain to become part of the plan. He allowed the betrayal to become the bridge to victory. This is the mystery of God’s Kingdom, He uses wounds as instruments of growth and transformation.

***A TRUE STORY***

About four months ago, I had the opportunity to speak with a woman who graciously allowed me to share her experience within this devotional. As she opened her heart, she spoke with a mixture of strength and vulnerability. She explained that trusting people had always been difficult for her, a struggle rooted in painful teenage trauma that left her guarded and cautious. She learned early in life that not everyone who smiles has pure intentions, and not every relationship is safe.

Years later, as an adult, she met a coworker who slowly earned her trust. Over the course of eight months, this woman became more than a colleague. She became a friend, someone she believed she could finally let her guard down around. They shared meals, laughter, and long conversations. They took trips together, enjoyed spontaneous outings, and even worshipped side by side. For the first time in a long time, she felt she had found a friend who honored her vulnerability.

As their friendship grew, life continued to unfold. The young woman eventually had two sons, and because of the closeness and trust she felt, she named this friend the godmother of both children. It was a gesture of deep affection and confidence, an acknowledgment that she believed this friend would stand with her family through every season of life. Their bond seemed unbreakable, strengthened by shared experiences, mutual support, and years of friendship.

When she got engaged, her friend celebrated with her. She helped with planning, offered advice, and stood by her during one of the happiest seasons of her life. Their friendship continued through nine years of shared experiences, and even after the young woman married, the bond seemed to deepen. She believed she had found someone who would walk with her through every chapter of life.

But as time passed, something shifted. The friend who once felt like a safe place began to share personal things that were unsettling, things that created tension, confusion, and emotional strain. What once felt like support slowly became a source of heaviness. The conversations changed. The atmosphere changed. The trust changed. And eventually, the relationship changed.

The wedge that formed between them was not sudden, but it was painful. It was the kind of slow unraveling that leaves a person questioning everything they believed about loyalty, friendship, and sincerity. After nearly a decade of closeness, two years of marriage, and the sacred act of naming her friend godmother to her sons, the young woman found herself standing in the aftermath of a friendship that had fractured in ways she never expected.

She moved on with her life, but she carried the wound. She carried the shock. She carried the ache of betrayal from someone she once called a friend. As she spoke, tears filled her eyes, not because she wanted the friendship back, but because she never imagined it would end the way it did. She never thought someone she trusted so deeply would become the source of such hurt. She never thought the person who once celebrated her would later become the one who caused her pain. She never thought the one who walked beside her would be the one who walked away.

Her story is a reminder that betrayal does not always come from enemies. Sometimes it comes from the ones we loved, supported, and welcomed into our lives. Sometimes it comes from the ones we prayed with, laughed with, and leaned on. Sometimes it comes from the ones we believed would never hurt us.

Yet even in betrayal, God is present. Even in heartbreak, God is near. Even in disappointment, God restores. And even when trust is broken, God teaches us how to heal, how to rise, and how to move forward with wisdom and strength.

This woman’s story is a testament to resilience. Though wounded, she survived. Though disappointed, she grew. Though betrayed, she refused to let the pain define her. Her journey reminds us that wounds from friends are real, but so is the God who binds up the brokenhearted and carries us through every painful chapter.

And I would have you to know this: the friend betrayed the young woman I spoke with because she was jealous of how the young lady began to grow and prosper. While the young woman’s life was moving forward, the friend was quietly battling the collapse of her second marriage and many other personal struggles. Her own pain twisted into envy, and that envy became the seed of betrayal. It does not excuse the wound, but it reveals the truth, sometimes people hurt us not because of who we are, but because of what they are going through.

And even then, God heals. God restores. God lifts. God strengthens. God carries His people forward with grace.

*** A FINAL WORD ***

If you are going through a season of hurt or betrayal, I want you to know that you are not alone. The Lord sees every tear, understands every ache, and hears every unspoken question. Turn to Him in prayer. Pour out your heart before Him. He is near to the brokenhearted, and He will strengthen you in ways you cannot yet see.

And please remember this as well: it is perfectly okay to seek professional counseling if you need it. Reaching out for help is not a sign of weakness, it is a step toward healing. God often uses prayer, wise counsel, and supportive voices to guide us through the places where our hearts have been wounded. You deserve to heal, you deserve to grow, and you deserve to move forward with peace.

Bishop Charlene M. Jamison

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