The person without the Spirit can’ t understand the truths that come from the Spirit of God. It all sounds foolish to them because only those who have the Spirit can understand what the Spirit means. – 1 Corinthians 2:14
Verses 21-23 wrap up Proverbs 5:
21 For the LORD sees clearly what a man does,
examining every path he takes.
22 An evil man is held captive by his own sins;
they are ropes that catch and hold him.
23 He will die for lack of self-control;
he will be lost because of his great foolishness.
What I particularly like about Solomon’s advice is that he is a straight-talker. You don’t have to read between the lines to understand his message (see bold print).
Solomon points out clearly that it’s the choices we made that define the path we’re on today. We weren’t randomly teleported to where we are now.
If we take the time to reflect on our past choices, using the gift of reasoning God gave only to people, we would be able to see that, “I did _____ in this situation, choosing to do _______, and ______ , and the result was _______.” Hind sight is 20/20 after-all. 🙂
Each choice we make takes us down a different path. Some great, some a learning experience, and some destructive. We’re continually making choices. We’re never stagnant.
For example – I chose to look down, although quickly, at a text while driving, and don’t see that the car in front of me slowed up to let a family of geese pass, and I hit them.
These warnings from Solomon in Proverbs Chapter 5, , and others we read about in the Bible, are there because God knows we struggle with all the choices that bombard us. If this was not an issue, God wouldn’t spend so much time emphasizing, and re-emphasizing the potential irreversible emotional, and physical consequences of going our own way.
I mean seriously, isn’t it hard enough trying to pick out the “right” tube of toothpaste at the grocery store?
Won’t it be nice to be able to KNOW which toothpaste would give me those bright white teeth? Wouldn’t it be nice to KNOW which choice would give me a rich and satisfying life? – John 10:10
Thankfully, we can KNOW the “wise” choice. Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. – Matthew 7:13
Make a choice today to follow God’s ways, and ask God into your heart, see The Cornerstone… tab in the menu.
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Build a Foundation 
I often wish I knew what I know today when I was making the most important decisions of my life as a young man. I was raised in a nominally Christian home and we all attended an evangelical church together, but the values we were taught were more cultural than Biblical. Many of the messages I had internalized growing up were destructive and self-defeating, though they were held up as virtues. So I made decisions for all the wrong reasons and from the wrong motivations. I could have made much better selections for a spouse, college, major and career if I understood God’s word better and knew myself better.
I often think about the verse that says God has created good works for us to walk in and wonder how far off His chosen path I have wandered over the years and where I would be today if I had found the “sweet spot” in the center of His will. On the other hand, how could I have known any better since I had no other experience of family life and the church than what was familiar to me? It took years to figure out that neither my family life nor my experience of church was normative for a follower of Christ. Having had a variety of experiences with a diversity of people in places from my home town in Minnetonka, Minnesota, to my college years in Chicago, to a missionary career in Japan, I can see things from a much broader perspective now. But now my course is nearly finished. It’s too bad the most important decisions in life must be made without the benefit of the wisdom that comes with age.
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