Genesis 19:26
"But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt."
Lately, I have been studying the women of the bible and when I came across Lot's wife I was blown away at what one verse could carry. Lets recap the story of Lot: Lot and his family lived in Sodom and the city was so wicked that God told Abraham He was going to destroy the city with fire. Abraham tried to bargain with God by saying "What about all the innocent lives?" So God told him "If you find 50 people who are good, I will not destroy the city." However, that was not enough for Abraham. He tried negotiating again and again until he got to 10 people. So God said "Ok I will send my angels and if they find 10 good people, I will save the city." Unfortunately when the angels arrived at the city they only found good in Lot and his family. The angels told them to flee for their lives and when the fire fell they were not to look back. When they left the city, the temptation became too strong for Lot's wife to handle that she looked back at her city and she became a pile of salt.
There are 2 parts I want to discuss:
1. The city - It really irritates me when people say that God causes destruction ... no He doesn't. We do, by sinning! It is initially our faults. Sin is what we do instead of what God wants. When we sin, we cause destruction. Sin causes bad things to happen, not God.
2. Lot's wife - She was warned by the angels not to look back ... but she couldn't resist. The sin of her own city destroyed her. Same goes with us. When we sin, we repent and flee before destruction occurs, just like Lot's family. However, when we look back on our sin it destroys us. When you look back on your sin, without realizing it, you allow that sin to have a window back in your life.
Have you ever sinned and for some reason you can't help but continue to look back on your sin? Do you ever realize how much it affects you? I know for me it is very hard to not look back and live in the regret of what I have once done. Daily, I have to remind myself that I do not live that lifestyle anymore. If you think about it, it is kind of a slap in the face to God when we constantly remind Him of our old selves.
Micah 7:19 "You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea."
Psalms 103:12 "As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."
From these 2 verses we can infer that God casts our sins so far from Him, that He doesn't even remember them. How amazing is He! He has such grace and mercy! If the God of all creation casts our sins, why shouldn't we? We should repent and not look back. Don't be like Lot's wife and fall into the temptation of returning to your sin.
Philippians 3:13
"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead."
Looking back is a sure end to going back!
Right now take a moment and think of your past ... let this be the last time you look back in regret. Don't think long enough to let it consume you and affect your life! Just look back and think ... you may not be where you need to be, but thank God you aren't where you used to be!
"But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt."
Lately, I have been studying the women of the bible and when I came across Lot's wife I was blown away at what one verse could carry. Lets recap the story of Lot: Lot and his family lived in Sodom and the city was so wicked that God told Abraham He was going to destroy the city with fire. Abraham tried to bargain with God by saying "What about all the innocent lives?" So God told him "If you find 50 people who are good, I will not destroy the city." However, that was not enough for Abraham. He tried negotiating again and again until he got to 10 people. So God said "Ok I will send my angels and if they find 10 good people, I will save the city." Unfortunately when the angels arrived at the city they only found good in Lot and his family. The angels told them to flee for their lives and when the fire fell they were not to look back. When they left the city, the temptation became too strong for Lot's wife to handle that she looked back at her city and she became a pile of salt.
There are 2 parts I want to discuss:
1. The city - It really irritates me when people say that God causes destruction ... no He doesn't. We do, by sinning! It is initially our faults. Sin is what we do instead of what God wants. When we sin, we cause destruction. Sin causes bad things to happen, not God.
2. Lot's wife - She was warned by the angels not to look back ... but she couldn't resist. The sin of her own city destroyed her. Same goes with us. When we sin, we repent and flee before destruction occurs, just like Lot's family. However, when we look back on our sin it destroys us. When you look back on your sin, without realizing it, you allow that sin to have a window back in your life.
Have you ever sinned and for some reason you can't help but continue to look back on your sin? Do you ever realize how much it affects you? I know for me it is very hard to not look back and live in the regret of what I have once done. Daily, I have to remind myself that I do not live that lifestyle anymore. If you think about it, it is kind of a slap in the face to God when we constantly remind Him of our old selves.
Micah 7:19 "You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea."
Psalms 103:12 "As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."
From these 2 verses we can infer that God casts our sins so far from Him, that He doesn't even remember them. How amazing is He! He has such grace and mercy! If the God of all creation casts our sins, why shouldn't we? We should repent and not look back. Don't be like Lot's wife and fall into the temptation of returning to your sin.
Philippians 3:13
"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead."
Looking back is a sure end to going back!
Right now take a moment and think of your past ... let this be the last time you look back in regret. Don't think long enough to let it consume you and affect your life! Just look back and think ... you may not be where you need to be, but thank God you aren't where you used to be!
