Some things Are Meant to Be Kept Not Shared

Psalms 141:3
Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

There are things in life that are not just personal. They are sacred. They are not meant to be shared casually. They carry spiritual weight and covenant meaning. They require discernment before exposure and discretion before discussion.

In Scripture, people gained access to sacred things as a way of laying claim to what did not belong to them.

Abner and Rizpah — More Than Lust

Abner, the commander of Saul’s army, slept with Rizpah, one of Saul’s concubines. On the surface, it may seem like a moral failure or a private matter. But in that culture, such an act was a political statement.

To take the king’s concubine was to lay claim to the king’s authority. It was a symbolic way of saying, “I now carry the legacy of the throne.”

Ishbosheth may have worn the crown, but Abner was making a power move. He wasn’t driven by passion — he was declaring influence.

This moment shows how sacred things — especially those tied to covenant and legacy — can be misused when exposed without discernment.
(2 Samuel 3:7–10)

Adonijah and Abishag — A Throne in Disguise

After David’s death, Adonijah sought to marry Abishag, the young woman who had cared for the king in his final days. This was no innocent request for companionship. Abishag had not merely been a caregiver — she had become a symbol of David’s royal presence and intimacy in his last moments.

To ask for Abishag was to make a coded political statement. In the eyes of the court, such a marriage would imply a right to the throne. Adonijah had already attempted to seize the crown once and failed. Now he was cloaking his ambition in civility and custom.

Solomon discerned the real intent behind the request. He saw that Adonijah was using the language of love to mask a second grab at power. The response was swift and decisive: Solomon judged him according to the danger he posed — not to the woman, but to the kingdom.

Not all requests are what they seem. Sometimes people are after what your access represents, not who you are.
(1 Kings 2:13–25)

Absalom and Hebron — Rebellion on Sacred Ground

When Absalom conspired to overthrow his father David, he did not make the declaration in Jerusalem, the city of kings. He chose Hebron.

That decision was loaded with meaning.

Hebron was not just another town. It was where Abraham built his altar. The burial ground of the patriarchs. The first capital of David’s reign after Saul’s death. It held spiritual and national memory. It was also one of the cities of refuge and a Levitical inheritance — a place where divine patterns intersected with Israel’s destiny.

By going to Hebron, Absalom wasn’t just starting a rebellion. He was anchoring his mutiny in the sacred. He hijacked the memory of covenant to legitimise his revolt. He wanted more than power — he wanted the symbolic approval of history and heaven.

Not all strategies are logistical. Some are spiritual manipulations. Discern when someone uses the right language, the right location, and the right memories to support the wrong cause.
(2 Samuel 15:7–10)

Hezekiah’s Hospitality Turned Spectacle

When envoys came from Babylon to visit King Hezekiah, he welcomed them warmly. But what began as a diplomatic courtesy quickly became a moment of careless exposure.

Hezekiah showed them everything — his treasures, his silver and gold, his spices and oils, his armory and reserves. Nothing was withheld. To the natural eye, this may have seemed like a generous gesture. But in the realm of the spirit, it was a disastrous unveiling.

Isaiah the prophet confronted him afterward with a sober word: this act of overexposure would one day cost his descendants dearly. Everything that had been flaunted would one day be carried away to Babylon. What Hezekiah turned into a spectacle would become a spoil.

This was not about pride alone. It was a misreading of the moment. He treated holy stewardship as public display. There was no discernment, no inquiry, no restraint — only access without boundaries.

Not every guest should be shown every room. Not every ally should be trusted with your arsenal. Sometimes, we open doors God has shut.
(Isaiah 39:1–7)

Paul’s Encounter with the Sacred

Paul was a man of revelation. He preached mysteries hidden for ages. He spoke with authority about grace, resurrection, and spiritual warfare. Yet, in 2 Corinthians, he recounts an experience so sacred he refused to detail it.

He had been caught up into paradise. He heard words that were unlawful to utter. Not just unspeakable — unlawful. Words forbidden to be repeated on earth.

This is sobering. A man who revealed so much to the church also concealed certain things because they were not for public hearing. The Spirit of God didn’t just show him things to share — He also showed him things to keep.

Not every revelation is for publication. Some experiences are meant to stay in the realm of private consecration. Their weight is in their secrecy. Their power is in their restraint.
(2 Corinthians 12:4)

Saul and the Secret of the Kingdom

When Saul was anointed by Samuel, he didn’t immediately broadcast it.

After returning home, his uncle asked what Samuel had said, but Saul deliberately withheld the matter of the kingdom. He only mentioned that the donkeys had been found.

This was not fear. It was discernment. He understood that some matters must mature in silence before they manifest in public.
(1 Samuel 10:14–16)

Holy Restraint is Not Rebellion

In the same way, there are moments when even your pastor should not know the divine instruction you have received.

Not out of rebellion, but out of holy restraint.

When God told Abraham to offer Isaac, he didn’t consult Sarah. (Genesis 22:1–3)

When the angel spoke to Mary, she kept those things and pondered them in her heart. (Luke 2:19)

Some instructions are personal covenants, not public announcements. Divine directives often begin in secrecy and unfold with timing.

Sharing them prematurely can expose them to interference or misinterpretation before their appointed season.

David and Ittai — Testing Sincere Offers

When David was fleeing from Absalom, a man named Ittai the Gittite came to join him. Ittai was a foreigner and a recent addition to David’s circle.

Though his gesture seemed noble, David did not hastily accept his offer. He pointed out what most people would ignore — the danger of allowing a newcomer to join such a sensitive mission in a volatile season.

It took Ittai’s oath of loyalty and David’s discernment to recognise the sincerity behind his words before allowing him to proceed.

In sacred seasons, even sincere offers must be tested. Discernment protects divine assignments from well-meaning but unproven companions.
(2 Samuel 15:18–22)

Oversharing and Its Consequences

Some things are not to be posted. Not to be narrated. Not to be explained.

They are to be prayed over, protected, and pondered.

In this era of oversharing, discernment is fading.

People expose their secrets without discretion.
They announce friendships before testing loyalties.
They share visions and treasures of the spirit without seeking counsel.

Most successful attacks against us come from information we ourselves gave away.
We often educate and equip our enemies on how to attack us successfully through unguarded disclosures.

Final Word

Some things are sacred.
Know them. Guard them. Keep them.

#actfreshmanna #actwordnuggets

Adade is a Seeker of Divine Truth, known as A Man of The Word. He is a Software Consultant by profession and a frequent columnist in The Ghanaian Times, where he reflects on the intersection of scripture, society, and spiritual clarity. He publishes on social media by the hashtags #actfreshmanna and #actwordnuggets (Facebook and TikTok), where he constantly shares nuggets from The Scriptures.