Delayed Consequences Doesn't Mean No Consequences

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap”
                              Galatians 6:7 (KJV)
 





Hi friends,
     How are you?  Today, I want to talk about times when people have said, “Don’t touch this or you will be in trouble.”  Or, maybe they said, “Don’t cross this line or you will be sorry.”  Then, nothing happened.  It is like bullies were warning us to get us scared, hoping that we wouldn’t call their bluff. 

     These bullies like to manipulate the truth to get others to do what they want.  They want to mock others for being afraid of them.  They want to keep us down, so they feel strong.

     However, when people call the bully’s bluff, they may jeer at the bully, “I touched it.  I touched it”, because they touched it and nothing happened.  Or, they crossed the line and nothing happened.  So, the bully is then mocked.  The bully didn’t have the strength or courage to follow through with his or her threats.

     With this image and frame of mine, let’s now look at Galatians 6:7.  The first part says, “Be not deceived.”  That is don’t be mistaken.  God can definitely follow through with whatever He says will happen.  God has infinite power.  God does not trick or manipulate people to get His way.  God tells the truth.  God is truth.
 
     The second part of the verse says, “God in not mocked.”  In other words, God will follow through with whatever He says He will do.  There will be no, “I touched it, I touched it,” from sinners who thought they got away with something. 

     We may “think” we are getting away with things, because our consequences don’t always come immediately.  They come in God’s time, not in the time we always think they will come.  For example, if we are told we are going to gain weight if we eat something and then don’t gain weight immediately, we may think that we got away with something.  However, what we may not know is that it is probably working unseen negative effects on the body and we will end up gaining weight in the long run because of it.

     Another example might be, if we smoke after being told it causes cancer and we don’t get cancer right away, we might feel like we got away with something.  However, what we might not realize is that sometimes it takes time for the effect of the nicotine to take hold and the cancer to start.  It might also be that the cancer is starting inside the body, but we can’t see it yet.

     No matter what the unhealthy action and sin we may do, we must not think we “got away with something” if our consequences don’t come immediately.  Our consequences may not even come during our time on earth, but we will be judged on whatever we do.  Our consequences or rewards will come eventually, in this life or in eternity. 

     The last part of Galatians 6:7 (KJV) says, “for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”  When consequences don’t come immediately, we may forget or not believe that they will come.  Yet, again, God doesn’t lie.  He tells the truth and is truth.  Even if we forget about them, the consequences are coming.

     It may also be that the consequences are put to us in worldly terms, but the consequences are according to God’s law and not worldly law.  For example, we may “steal something” and not get caught.  So, we won’t go to jail and “pay” for the crime.  So, we may think that we “got away with something”.  However, that is worldly law.  God still knows that we stole something and He will still give us His consequences.

     If we do good things and follow God’s Word, we will reap the rewards He promises.  On the other hand, if we sin and don’t heed God’s Word, we will reap the consequences He promises as well.  Even if we don’t see the rewards or consequences in this life, we can be sure that we will see them in eternity.  As it says in the beginning of the verse, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked.”
 

Heavenly Father,
     Thank you for your Word.  Thank you for the truth and direction you give us.  Help us to heed your words and to remember that consequences and rewards are coming according to your Word, even if they don’t come in the time we may expect.  We ask you this through your Son, Jesus.  Amen.
 

 
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Reflective questions for Galatians 6:7 (KJV):
*What does Galatians 6:7 mean to me?
*About what does Galatians 6:7 make me think?
*How can I relate Galatians 6:7 to a situation in today’s world?
*What do I need to do to better heed the words in Galatians 6:7?

Now, it is your turn.
     I am so glad that you are here.  I appreciate your kindness and support.  I feel blessed to write the Faith Blog.  I feel God has called me to do so.  I pray before I write and trust God to give me the words and message that He wants written.  I pray you are blessed by it also.
 
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     I look forward to your thoughtful comments.  Please, feel free to comment below or to contact me.

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