SCRIPTURE: Ecclesiastes 10
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
Never make light of the king, even in your thoughts. And don’t make fun of the powerful, even in your own bedroom. For a little bird might deliver your message and tell them what you said. [Ecclesiastes 10:20]
What goes on inside of us will come out, one way or another.
Our wisdom or folly will be evident to those around us; wisdom has an aroma, and folly stinks [Ecclesiastes 10:1]
You can identify fools just by the way they walk down the street! [Ecclesiastes 10:3]
Ever notice that things that you have said or done in secret have an unnerving way of being discovered?
The verse quoted above seems to be the source for the expression, “a little bird told me”, used when someone is explaining how they found out something that was supposed to be secret.
No secrets, to place to hide, its only a matter of time before our wise or foolish thoughts or words or actions become public.

Jesus turned first to his disciples and warned them, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees—their hypocrisy. The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. Whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be shouted from the housetops for all to hear! [Luke 12:1-3]
Jesus says the same thing; when speaking about hypocrisy among religious people, pretending to be something on the outside that we are not truly on the inside, Jesus makes it clear that the secret will be exposed.
The plain sense of this is that what we are on the inside eventually reveals itself.
This is why integrity is so important, where the inside matches the outside; another word for this is honesty.
This is why those who live double lives ought to reconsider, and take steps to deal with their duplicity.

God works with “little birds”; that is, it is God’s intention to reveal these secrets.
He does not do this to shame people, but to help them, to lead them towards honesty and integrity.
God knows how harmful hypocrisy and duplicity are, to us and to those around us.
How many public figures have had their lives and careers and families ruined because of secret sins.
This week in the news is the story about Canada’s top military commander in Afghanistan be removed from his position because of an alleged inappropriate relationship with another military officer.
God uses our circumstances to get our attention, to show us our need for honesty and integrity and to lead us to Him for mercy and help.
Often it’s not until a major fall or public shaming before a person finally reaches the point where God can help them.
The whole point of the Teacher is the ultimately wisdom or folly have consequences, and its better to deal with it now rather than wait until our secrets are exposed and we have to deal with it the hard way.

So what are the little birds hearing me say, what are they seeing me do?
And who are they telling?

PRAYER:
Lord, thank You for not letting my secret sins remain secret. I do ask that You would help me to be honest, and to strive for integrity and sincerity.