"A talebearer revealeth secrets; but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter" (Proverbs 11:13).

In the information age that we live in, it seems as if there are no secrets anymore - especially when it comes to the personal lives of those in the public eye.

In the past, the magazines or other news media that exposed private (and often humiliating or embarrassing) details of people's lives were considered tabloids and frowned upon by other respectable news outlets. But not anymore. The boundary lines of decency have been erased, and it is a race between all the news media to see who can be the first to publish or broadcast the "scoop."

At the first sign of a bulge in a female celebrity's stomach, the news media begin to publish questions about whether she is pregnant. Perhaps she has simply gained a little weight, but the rumor mill is already in full swing. If she actually is pregnant, just wait a few weeks and you will know the sex of the baby, the due date, where it will be born, and a myriad of other details, usually reserved for family and close friends.

We are also privy to information about the intricacies of people's marriages, infidelities, subsequent divorces, and remarriages that really are none of our business.

Because we have so many "talebearers" that have crafted "revealing secrets" into a fine art, it has developed into a public pastime that has bled over into our own personal lives. It is increasingly difficult to find people who do not delight in spreading gossip about others. But the Bible gives us strong admonition to discipline ourselves to not be a talebearer, or repeat everything that we hear.

Proverbs 17:9 says,

"He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends."

Proverbs 26:20-22 says,

"Where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth. The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly."

Don't be a talebearer! Be a faithful person who knows how to keep secrets!

Devotion by Beth Dillon