“Listen as Wisdom calls out! Hear as understanding raises her voice! On the hilltop along the road, she takes her stand at the crossroads. By the gates at the entrance to the town, on the road leading in, she cries aloud, “I call to you, to all of you! I raise my voice to all people.” (Prov. 8:1-4 NLT)

 Use good judgment and show some understanding 

“You simple people, use good judgment. You foolish people, show some understanding. Listen to me! For I have important things to tell you.” (Prov. 8:5-6 NLT)

 Wisdom’s advice is wholesome

“Everything I say is right, for I speak the truth and detest every kind of deception. My advice is wholesome. There is nothing devious or crooked in it.” (Prov. 8:7-8 NLT)

 Wisdom’s words are plain and clear

“My words are plain to anyone with understanding, clear to those with knowledge. Choose my instruction rather than silver, and knowledge rather than pure gold. For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies. Nothing you desire can compare with it.” (Prov. 8:9-11 NLT)

“My son, keep my words and store up my commands within you. Keep my commands and you will live; guard my teachings as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.” (Prov. 7:1-3 NIV)

 Words of wisdom and insight will keep you from evil seduction 

“Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,” and to insight, “You are my relative.”  They will keep you from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words.” (Prov. 7:4-5 NIV)

 An example of what wisdom and insight will protect you from 

“While I was at the window of my house, looking through the curtain, I saw some naive young men, and one in particular who lacked common sense. He was crossing the street near the house of an immoral woman, strolling down the path by her house. It was at twilight, in the evening, as deep darkness fell. The woman approached him, seductively dressed and sly of heart. She was the brash, rebellious type, never content to stay at home. She is often in the streets and markets, soliciting at every corner. She threw her arms around him and kissed him, and with a brazen look she said, “I’ve just made my peace offerings and fulfilled my vows. You’re the one I was looking for! I came out to find you, and here you are! My bed is spread with beautiful blankets, with colored sheets of Egyptian linen. I’ve perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let’s drink our fill of love until morning. Let’s enjoy each other’s caresses, for my husband is not home. He’s away on a long trip. He has taken a wallet full of money with him and won’t return until later this month.[b]” So she seduced him with her pretty speech and enticed him with her flattery. He followed her at once, like an ox going to the slaughter. He was like a stag caught in a trap,[c] awaiting the arrow that would pierce its heart. He was like a bird flying into a snare, little knowing it would cost him his life.” (Prov. 7:6-23 NLT)

So listen and pay attention!

“So listen to me, my sons, and pay attention to my words. Don’t let your hearts stray away toward her. Don’t wander down her wayward path. For she has been the ruin of many; many men have been her victims. Her house is the road to the grave. Her bedroom is the den of death.” (Prov. 7:24-27 NLT)

“Excuses might be found for a thief who steals because he is starving. But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times what he stole, even if he has to sell everything in his house.” (Prov. 6:30-31 NLT)

I’ve traveled to jails and prisons a few times over the years to share Christ and to visit with the prisoners. Some of those I spoke with were truly sorry for what they had done. They admitted their sins, repented from them and prayed to receive Christ. They were transformed by His Spirit (John 1:12). Others were only sorry for getting caught and they justified what they had done with excuses. I couldn’t help them. Unfortunately, it is impossible to help a non-repentant person (Luke 13:3). 

 An adulterer will be disgraced

“But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool, for he destroys himself. He will be wounded and disgraced.” (Prov. 6:32-33 NLT)

He will be shown no mercy 

“His shame will never be erased.
For the woman’s jealous husband will be furious, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.
He will accept no compensation,
nor be satisfied with a payoff of any size.” (Prov. 6:34-35 NLT)

“My son, obey your father’s commands, and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. Keep their words always in your heart. Tie them around your neck. When you walk, their counsel will lead you. When you sleep, they will protect you. When you wake up, they will advise you.” (Prov. 6:20-22 NLT)

Your parent’s collective discipline will protect you from immorality

“For their command is a lamp and their instruction a light; their corrective discipline is the way to life. It will keep you from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue of a promiscuous woman. Don’t lust for her beauty. Don’t let her coy glances seduce you. (Prov. 6:23-25 NLT)

A command with a promise 

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” (Eph. 6:1-3 NIV)

Well pleasing to the Lord

“Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord.” (Col. 3:2 NASB)

“There are six things the Lord hates— no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family.” (Prov. 6:16-19 NLT)

The above passage includes a short list of things that God detests. It’s very important to know what these things are and not to allow them into our lives! Period!

1. Haughty eyes - Haughty is defined as arrogant, vain, conceited, snobbish, superior, self important, pompous, supercilious, condescending, patronizing; scornful, contemptuous, disdainful; full of oneself, stuck-up, snooty, hoity-toity, uppity and big-headed. 

1. A lying tongue – To lie is to deceive someone else and to be in agreement with the devil who is the father of lies! (John 8:44). Deception of any kind leads away from God because He is truth and will not associate Himself with liars and deceivers. The opposite of lie is truth, Jesus is the truth and the truth will set you free! (John 8:32).

1. Hands that kill the innocent – To kill the innocent is to commit murder (Exo. 20:13). This is why abortion is wrong. It is killing the innocent. (Gal. 1:15 & Jer. 1:5)

1. A heart that plots evil – Evil is defined as any of the following: wicked, bad, wrong, immoral, sinful, foul, vile, dishonorable, corrupt, iniquitous, depraved, reprobate, villainous, nefarious, vicious, malicious; malevolent, sinister, demonic, devilish, diabolical,fiendish, dark; monstrous, despicable, atrocious, heinous, odious, contemptible, horrible, execrable; dirty “an evil deed".

1. Feet that race to do wrong – Wrong is defined as not true, incorrect, mistaken, in error, erroneous, inaccurate, inexact, imprecise, fallacious, wide of the mark, off target, unsound, faulty. It’s to know what is good but then not to do it: “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them.” (James 4:17 NIV)

1. A false witness who pours out lies – One of the Ten Commandments is, “Thou shalt not bear false witness.” It forbids: Speaking falsely in any matter, lying, equivocating, and any way devising and designing to deceive your neighbor. Speaking unjustly against your neighbor, to the prejudice of his reputation. In other words, a righteous witness must tell only the truth and be trustworthy. “A trustworthy witness will not lie, But a false witness utters lies.” (Prov. 24:5 NIV)

1. A person who sows discord in a family – Discord is defined as Conflict, friction, hostility, antagonism, antipathy, enmity, bad feeling, ill feeling, bad blood, argument, quarreling, squabbling, bickering, wrangling, feuding, contention, dissension, dispute, disunity, division, opposition, infighting.

“Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter.” (Prov. 6:6-8 NLT)

Take a lesson from the ants

The above passage tells us to take a lesson from ants. We can and should learn a lot from them because ants are truly amazing creatures. They faithfully do their jobs, work hard, cooperate together and they prepare for the winter. Ants are very social insects and they divide jobs among different types of ants in each colony. The queen’s job is to lay eggs. The other worker ants feed the larvae, take out the colony's trash, forage for food and supplies or defends the nest. 

Wake up you lazybones!

“But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up? A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber. (Prov. 6:9-11 NLT)

“My child, if you have put up security for a friend’s debt or agreed to guarantee the debt of a stranger— if you have trapped yourself by your agreement and are caught by what you said—follow my advice and save yourself, for you have placed yourself at your friend’s mercy. Now swallow your pride; go and beg to have your name erased. Don’t put it off; do it now! Don’t rest until you do. Save yourself like a gazelle escaping from a hunter, like a bird fleeing from a net.” (Prov. 6:1-5 NLT)

 My answer is always no

Over the years I have had a number of friends ask me to co-sign for them. The reason I won’t co-sign is because the Bible makes it perfectly clear that you should never co-sign for anyone! And, quite frankly, there are many compelling reasons not to co-sign for someone else, and here are just just a few:

First, by co-signing, you take on all the risk if their loan is not repaid

Keep in mind also that they were not a good risk in the first place for the loan based on their own ability to carry the burden of the loan. The lender considered them to be a bad risk and that’s why they needed someone else with good credit and sufficient collateral to guarantee their loan. 

Secondly, by co-signing you are agreeing to pay the loan completely if they don’t

Their failure to pay, often even one payment on the loan, means the lender will immediately come after the co-signer for the entire balance! You are 100 percent liable on any loan you co-sign for, which could be a significant amount. 

Thirdly, co-signing for someone else can affect your own credit

It could even make you ineligible for any future loan you may need for yourself.

If you can’t afford to give them the money, you could never afford to co-sign for them

It’s not worth the risk to take on another’s debt, so just don’t do it! And, If you can actually afford to help someone in need, just give them some money, but never co-sign for them!

“Drink water from your own well— share your love only with your wife. Why spill the water of your springs in the streets, having sex with just anyone? You should reserve it for yourselves. Never share it with strangers.” (Prov. 5:15-17 NLT)

A fountain of blessing for you 

“Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. She is a loving deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts satisfy you always. May you always be captivated by her love. Why be captivated, my son, by an immoral woman, or fondle the breasts of a promiscuous woman?” (Prov. 5:18-20 NLT)

God sees clearly what you do

“For the Lord sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes.” (Prov. 5:21 NLT)

The lack of self control leads to death

“An evil man is held captive by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him. He will die for lack of self-control; he will be lost because of his great foolishness.” (Prov. 5:22-23 NLT)

“My son, pay attention to my wisdom; listen carefully to my wise counsel. Then you will show discernment, and your lips will express what you’ve learned. For the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil. But in the end she is as bitter as poison, as dangerous as a double-edged sword.” (Prov. 5:1-4 NLT)

Immorality leads downward to death

“Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave. For she cares nothing about the path to life. She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn’t realize it.” (Prov. 5:5-7 NLT)

Immorality will cause you to lose your honor and all you have achieved

“So now, my sons, listen to me.
 Never stray from what I am about to say: Stay away from her! Don’t go near the door of her house! If you do, you will lose your honor and will lose to merciless people all you have achieved.” (Prov. 5:7-8 NLT)

Immorality will cause you to groan in anguish and disease

“Strangers will consume your wealth, and someone else will enjoy the fruit of your labor. In the end you will groan in anguish when disease consumes your body.” (Prov. 5:10-11 NLT)

Immorality brings public disgrace and great regret 

“You will say, “How I hated discipline! If only I had not ignored all the warnings! Oh, why didn’t I listen to my teachers? Why didn’t I pay attention to my instructors? I have come to the brink of utter ruin, and now I must face public disgrace.” (Prov. 5:13-14 NLT)