Guarding Against Betrayal: Lessons in Trust and Discernment from a Tale of Deception

Not all friends, brothers, or sisters are what you think they are to you. Be careful who you tell your secrets. To avoid doubt, let me tell you a short story I heard from someone recently.

Once upon a time, an elder brother and a younger sister went to see a prophet to pray with them to reverse the endemic problems of failures in the family.

As the prayer commenced, the Prophet asked the lady, “Why have you come to tempt the Lord? Why? The lady was looking aghast, and the elder brother was astonished. The Prophet asked again, “Woman, why have you come to tempt the Lord?

The Woman pleaded her innocence and told the brother that he had set her up. The Prophet then asked her to step onto the altar. Once she did, she was told that she should take whatever befalls her while praying if she did not confess what she did against the brother. The brother begged, saying, “I do not want my sister to die, please.” At this point, he was willing to back off. But it was too late!

Minutes later, the lady confessed that before becoming a born-again Christian, she was envious of her elder brother’s and his children’s progress. Though the elder brother was the one paying her children’s school fees, she still went to a native doctor to swap the destinies of the brother’s children with that of her children not doing well. She told the native doctor to veil the brother’s children to believe their father was responsible for their failures.

Some of the lady’s children finished school, got happily married, and became prosperous, while the brother’s children had severe issues with life to the point that the brother contemplated suicide.

The man never stopped believing and hanging his faith in God. Indeed, God arose for him and began to heal the elder brother’s children.

Sadly, the remaining children of the lady were faced with considerable challenges in business and matrimony. It would seem the tide has turned because the lady’s children are now going through worse turbulence than the brother faced hence she agreed to follow the brother to a prophet. She perhaps forgot what she did to stall the brother’s progress.

Some friends, brothers, and sisters do not know where to cut the tape of envy and jealousy. But one thing is sure: a person with a clear conscience and clean hands may face persecution and trials for so long, but in the end, God will arise.

No matter how long it takes, the evil-doer would either retrace the footsteps or get consumed. The law of what you sow, you shall reap does not fail.

From this story, you should be careful about whom you share your pains and success stories because the worm destroying your plans may be a resident in your household or circle. Joseph made the mistake of telling his brothers his dreams, and he paid dearly for it.

Lastly, whatever you are going through, do not give up. Always remember that Joseph was almost killed by his brothers. Joseph was an enslaved person and a prisoner. But at the appointed time, Joseph woke up in the prison and got heralded him into a palace, made him a Prime Minister, and his life changed for the better. You may be the Joseph in bondage or jail today. But at the appointed grace period, you shall take the centre stage, reclaim what belongs to you, and end well in Jesus’ name. Amen

Grace and peace!!!