Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil… But it will not be well with the wicked… because he does not fear before God.

(Ecclesiastes 8:11–13 NIV)

A customer once placed an order with a monthly book club.  But when the distributor checked the account, they saw that the customer hadn’t paid for the previous book. The collections manager sent the standard response: “We can’t ship your new order until you pay for the last one.”

A few days later, a note came back: “Please cancel the order.  I can’t wait that long.”

What sounds like a simple joke actually says a lot about us.  We live in a “get it now, deal with it later” culture. Credit cards make that mindset easy — enjoy whatever you want now, worry about the bill later.  Ads that promise “no payments until next year” only feed the illusion that consequences can be postponed forever.  

Satan uses the same trick. He convinces us that the consequences of sin are either small or far off.  And when nothing bad seems to happen right away, we begin to think there won’t be any consequences at all.

But Scripture tells a different story.  Solomon put it bluntly: “Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.”  In other words, when judgment doesn’t come immediately, people feel emboldened to continue down the wrong path.

But the truth remains: the bill always comes due.  It may not be today or tomorrow, but eventually, sin bears fruit — and that harvest is never sweet.  “It will not be well with the wicked… because he does not fear before God.”

That isn’t meant to scare us, but to wake us up.  Yes, God is patient.  But his patience is meant to lead us to repentance, not to give us permission to delay obedience.  So don’t fall for the lie of “later.”  Sin may have delayed consequences, but righteousness brings peace that starts now and lasts forever.

Prayer: Lord, help me not to be fooled by the illusion of delay.  When I’m tempted to sin, remind me that every choice I make brings consequences.  Give me the wisdom to always walk in obedience.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

Alan Smith
Reprinted with permission from Alan Smith’s Thought For the Day