Teaching on the coming of the kingdom of God, Jesus said in Luke 17:32 (AMP) “Remember [what happened to] Lot’s wife [when she looked back]! Jesus’ comment referred to the narrating of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19:26 (NLT) “But Lot’s wife looked back as she was following behind him, and she turned into a pillar of salt.”
Remember Lot’s wife.
What makes Lot’s wife so significant that Jesus told us to remember her. Why her? A woman whose name we don’t even know. What is it about her we are to remember?
5 Key points worth remembering from the account of Lot’s wife:
- Obey God’s commands
In Genesis 19:17 the angels warn Lot’s wife not to look back at Sodom as it was being destroyed. In Genesis 19:26 (AMP) we see the results of her disobedience “But Lot’s wife, from behind him, [foolishly, longingly] looked [back toward Sodom in an act of disobedience], and she became a pillar of salt.” Her disobedience led to her transformation into a pillar of salt. A stark reminder of the consequences of neglecting God’s commands.
See in the meantime that your faith brings forth obedience, and God in due time will cause it to bring forth peace.
John Owen (1616-1683)
We need to live a life of obedience. God’s commands are always for our benefit, and we should obey them without hesitation.
- Don’t hesitate
In Genesis 19:16 (NLT) we read “When Lot still hesitated, the angels seized his hand and the hands of his wife and two daughters and rushed them to safety outside the city, for the Lord was merciful.” Other translations read “Lot was dragging his feet” (MSG), “and while he lingered” (NKJV).
When the angels came to Sodom on a rescue mission Lot and his family were not willing to leave the life as they know it behind. No doubt they had other plans for their life. They did not see the intervention of the angels as an opportunity, but as a disruption.
Don’t drag your feet.
It is not always easy to move on when God call us forward. Especially when things are safe, comfortable and just the way we like it. Equally so, it is difficult to move on when we experience heartache, pain, suffering, discouragement, or disillusion. When we hesitate, we run the risk of getting stuck in the past.
- Get unstuck from the past
Genesis 19:26 (AMP) says that Lot’s wife looked back “longingly”. According to the Oxford dictionary longingly means with a yearning or intense desire. Her looking back signifies her lingering desire for her familiar life in Sodom.
Lot’s wife’s physical body was moving forward. But her heart remained in Sodom. Even though Sodom was wicked and condemned (Ezekiel 16:49-50). Her heart was so caught up in what was behind her that she could not see the future God had planned for her. She was stuck even before she turned into an unmoving block of salt.
Be wary. The past can become an idolised version of reality. Memories can easily be distorted. The Israelites in Numbers 11:5 (NLT) wistfully said “we remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted.” They conveniently forgot the slavery and hardship endured in Egypt.
It is not possible to move forward while looking back.
Our natural inclination is to look back. There are times in each of our lives when we look back and feel desperate to make time stand still. Particularly when things happens that we did not see coming, when we messed up or we are faced with change that we don’t want to embrace. With God’s help though, we can start to move forward from what we’ve lost and focus instead on the healing and gains He wants to bring. Looking back doesn’t enable us to go back and change what have happened. More times than not, it just makes us stuck.
We need to invite God in to help us get unstuck from those places where we were never meant to be.
Once stuck, we cannot move forward. We get stuck in places we never intended to find ourselves – spiritually, emotionally, mentally, relationally, financially, physically or working life. We can get stuck in disappointment, disillusionment, unforgiveness, loss, mistakes, heartache, bitterness, comfort, complacency, guilt, fear, insecurity, and so forth. Desiring for what ‘was’ is dangerous. Many good things won’t come to pass when we don’t let go of the past. In Philippians 3:13(NLT) Paul advise “But I focus on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.”
- Move forward in faith
Lot’s wife’s account serves as a cautionary reminder for believers, urging us to move forward in faith, forgetting what lies behind. Proverbs 4:25 (NLT) instructs us “Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you.” Jesus set an example for us. He endured the cross because He looked forward and fixed His eye on the goal and the outcome.
Her example encourages us to move forward in faith, even when we face challenges or difficulties. Leaving behind dreams, people, possessions and relationships we hold close and dear may seem like a challenging thing to do. But when we put our trust in the One who knows best, the present pain will eventually turn into the greatest gain in life. Our world may change, but our God does not change (James 1:17).
- Trust in God’s plan
Lot’s wife was not willing to trust God with the future. Her story emphasizes the need to trust God’s plan and follow His instructions. Even when we don’t understand God’s plan or if it seems difficult or unsettling, we should trust that He knows what’s best for us.
For God is good – or rather, of all goodness He is Fountainhead, and it is impossible for one who is good to be mean or grudging about anything.
Athanasius I of Alexandria (296AD-373AD)
God wants us to let go of the past and release our faith for His future. We must take our next step forward in faith, knowing that God has our steps ordered when we follow His instruction. He wants His best for us, so don’t look back. Believe God’s plan is better. We should run forward with hope trusting God and His goodness.
The cost of looking back
The enemy of our souls knows if he can keep us looking back, we would make little progress into the future God has for us. He excels in causing us to indulge in what ‘was’ and what ‘could have been’. Letting us waste a lot of time and energy. Jesus on the other hand specializes in new beginnings.
Just like Lot’s wife lingering and longing for the past can cost us the future God prepared.
We find comfort in the past because, even though it might have been difficult, it is familiar. The familiar provides a false sense of security. Change and newness always bring with it a sense of challenge, uneasiness and the unknown. While change requires courage, leaving behind an old season and embracing the new experiences that God has for us will be worth it. When God closes a door, He always opens another.
Don’t miss what God wants to do in and through your life now because you are clinging to the past. Have the courage to change. With God on our side, we don’t ever have to be afraid to give up the good to go for the great. In obedience surrender to God. Luke 17:32-33 (TPT) “Don’t forget the example of Lot’s wife and what happened to her when she turned back. All who are obsessed with being secure in life will lose it all – including their lives. But those who let go of their lives and surrender them to me will discover true life.”
To remember and to dwell on the past are not the same. Remembering uses the past for gratitude and growth. Dwelling means getting stuck in it, replaying hurts and regrets, which stops us from moving forward. It is good to remember but don’t let the past keep you trapped. Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV) “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing!”
It’s time to move forward. Let the past go. Leap forward into God’s future. God has so much more in store for us. The best is yet to come (Jeremiah 29:11).
Prayer: Father God, change can be difficult because there are so many unknowns. But I believe that You can work everything out for my good. You can make a way where there is no way. Help me see each change that comes as an opportunity to trust You and watch You do something even greater in my life. Because You are with me, I know that the best is yet to come. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
