Day 75: I’ve Got a Secret

Today’s Scripture: Proverbs 11:12-13

Central Thought: A trustworthy person keeps a confidence

For years Americans tuned in to the television game show ‘I’ve Got a Secret.” The show began in 1952, with Gary Moore as its host. In 1964, Steve Allen replaced Moore. Some years after the show went off the air, it reappeared with Bill Cullen as its host. A current version of the show exists, with comedian Bil (yes, with one ‘l”) Dwyer serving as its host.

You probably know the show’s premise. A guest shares a secret with Dwyer and the audience, and celebrity panelists try to guess the visitor’s secret.

The time may come when someone shares a secret with you in confidence—not to be shared with others. The secret may be of a personal nature, or it may be something that would be embarrassing for others to know. How should you respond when someone shares a secret?

The law mandates what you should do if someone confides something to you that is illegal. But in other cases—times when a friend shares something personal and private—Proverbs 11 gives the answer.

For one thing, don’t belittle the person (verse 12). This person has placed confidence in you. Don’t make him or her regret confiding in you by putting them down over what they have shared. It is better to keep silent and withhold judgment.

And by all means, resist the urge to tell someone the secret you have learned. Verse 13 does not compliment the person who does this. Instead it applauds the one trustworthy enough to keep a secret just that—secret.

Devotional Prayer: Help me Lord to be a trustworthy person, one that others can feel comfortable confiding in.

Today’s Bible Reading: Numbers 22:21-23:30; Luke 1:57-80; Psalm 58:1-11; Proverbs 11:12-13