Don't Look Back

Today is 9/11. I have spent a good portion of the day remembering that day. The shock, the emotion, the fear – what I was doing. It was a Tuesday morning, the beginning of the school year – and I was teaching the K-4/5 and 1st grade class. We were living a good distance from the church and I had to leave early. My parents were staying with us, and one of my sons had received a call telling him to watch the news. When we turned on the television, we couldn’t believe what we were seeing! I recall the horror I felt as the second plane crashed into the second building. I cried the whole way to work that day, and I knew that things would never be the same – my America was attacked.

For some reason we always seem surprised that the day of a tragedy starts out like any other day – but we never know what a day will bring.

"Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot's wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it." Luke 17:28-32

In reading from Luke we know that Lot’s wife was seeking to save her life but instead she lost it. We may all say that “God knows best,” but when we really believe it, we do what He says. The angels were trying to protect Lot’s wife, but she didn’t believe them – she thought the life she had was worth saving, not realizing that God was giving her a chance to live!

Genesis 19:13 "For we will destroy this place, …Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, …lest thou be consumed.
24 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt."


Lot's wife's land was being destroyed, and even though she was warned - she was reluctant to respond. Aren't you all thinking that if you were warned, you would have responded? I am sure that if any of the people in the airplanes, or in the Twin Towers on 9/11/01, would have been warned of the attack they would have heeded the warning and stayed away, right? Yet, everyday we warn people of hell, seek to save their lives by pointing them to our Saviour, and sadly most refuse to heed the warning.

There are others that have received the gift of Salvation, but refuse to live a holy life; which God wants us to live for our own good - because He loves us. What causes us to refuse the life God wants us to live, and choose a lifestyle that is contrary to the Bible? What caused Lot’s wife to accept the horrible life style she led and to look back instead of ahead at the life God wanted for her?

"Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good." Ezekiel 16:49

1. Pride. It is a proud people that don’t believe they need God. When God sent his angels to save even just their family, she didn’t really believe it because if she had she would have worked to convince her children; and she would have obeyed and been afraid to look back.
2. Fullness of Bread. She had everything she needed, wanted and more. She didn’t really need anything, so she didn’t think she needed God.
3. Abundance of Idleness. She had too much time on her hands. You know when you’re busy serving God and helping others; you get your eyes off yourself.
4. She did not strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. Of the Virtuous Woman it is said, “She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.” This speaks of soul winning and being as the Good Samaritan concerned for the needs of others. Lot’s wife didn’t help anybody.
5. To be Haughty is to be high-minded; not only proud because sometimes a person can be proud, but not everyone will know what they are thinking. A haughty person will belittle others, believe that they are better than others; be a snob, and treat other people as if they are beneath them.
6. Committed abomination. “ These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” Proverbs 6:16-19

Lot’s wife was content with her life. In the account of what happened when they were being escorted out of the Sodom before God destroyed it; the Bible says the angels had to take a hold of their hands to usher them out – even though God was destroying it for wickedness! She may not have personally enjoyed all that was going on, maybe she just became callous because she had abundance of bread, and too much time on her hands. In any case it she looked back and her life was destroyed!

When God calls us to a place, reveals a truth to our hearts, or convicts us to make a change, it is because He has a life for us –one that is far better than what we know and – He doesn’t want us to look back. “And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62

How can we avoid her mistake?

The following verses from Philippians 3, I believe hold the answer to avoiding the mistake that Lot’s wife made.

1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.
2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Go ahead - do what God wants you to do, go where God wants you to go... and DON’T LOOK BACK! Remember Lot’s wife

Have a wonderful day - and by the grace of God a wonderful life!

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