A Pillar of What? Genesis 19 Turning to Genesis 19 we find the story of Lot and his wife. At this time Lot and his family are living in Sodom. Sodom has become a wicked city. Two angels arrive at Lot’s home. The message is Sodom will be destroyed. Any family that Lot wishes to save must escape. Lot runs to tell his future sons-in-law, but just as the people in Noah’s time, they refused to believe him. Lot, his wife and daughters are the only ones we know that escape this disaster. In Genesis 19:17 we read, “As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, ‘Flee for your lives! Don’t look back,’ and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains for you will be swept away.” After a few more details, we go on to read in verse 26, “But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.” After reading the chapter I soon discover God has a lot to teach us. One of the first things I notice is people not listening when God speaks. People soon realized in Noah’s time what God was planning, but they did not seem to get the message. Now the sons-in-law are told what God plans to do, but they don’t believe. I am no different. There are times God shares a message or a gives me a glimpse of his plan and I don’t believe. When will we get it? That is not the direction I want to go though. Lot’s wife amazes me. She is told not to do something. She is not told why. She is just told, “Don’t look back.” What does she do? Look back. Why did she look back? Did she want to see what God would actually do? Did she long for those days in Sodom? Did she have friends she was concerned about? What was going on with her? What made her look back? I am not a scholar and I have not studied under a scholar, but I do have a few ideas of my own. I think she liked her life. I think she liked Sodom. I think she longed to stay where she was. God did not give her insight to what her future would be. She did not know where these Angels would be taking them. She could not see the future and I am not sure she was willing to trust a couple of Angels. She knew where she had been, but she didn’t know where she was going. She knew her past, but couldn’t see into her future. She didn’t trust those who brought the message. I have been in her shoes. I haven’t had the experience of being turned into salt, but I have walked in her shoes. You have too. How many times has God stepped in and asked us to leave a bad situation behind? We might have even been asked to leave some friends behind. God might have come in and told us to flee. He gives us a warning; flee from your wicked ways and don’t look back. I think He is also saying, “Don’t long for those days, don’t look at your past; look forward and trust me to take care of you.” Just like Lot’s wife we know where we have come from. We know the life we have left behind and we know those friends that can lead us in the wrong direction. God is not always forth coming with his plans for us or our future. What He wants from us is trust. He wants us to trust Him. He wants us to look forward to a new future, new life, and a new hope. We can’t do that though if we long for those good old days. I think there is something in all of us that wants us to hold on to those things that are familiar and comfortable. We don’t know the unknown, we don’t like the unknown and it is hard to trust in something we can’t see. I think it is fine to remember our past. I think it is great to look back and see how far we have come. I don’t think it is okay to long for the past. I think it is wrong to wish those good old days were back. I think it is wrong to want your old comfortable ways back. We have to cut ties with our past before we can move on. We have to dismiss those days we weren’t living the kind of life God wants for us. We can’t look back. If we can’t look back then what is our other option? Trusting God to take care of us and looking forward to what God has in store for us. In Proverbs 3:-7, it says, “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil.” (From the Message). If we are running from evil then we should be running to God. God will be there to shield and protect us. We must at all times keep our eyes focused on the prize. Philippians 3:14 says it perfectly; “I keep trying to reach the goal and get the prize for which God called me through Christ to the life above.” (The Everyday Bible) Sounds simple doesn’t it? It’s not, I know, but what I do know is it’s worth it. God sends us messengers to warn us. It may be in the form of scripture, a sermon, a dream; or it may come from a friend. It is what we do with that message that is important. Are we going to be like the sons-in-law and don’t believe? Are we going to ignore those signs that say it’s a time for change, a time to move, and time for leaving things, places, and people behind? I don’t think God will turn any of us into a pillar of salt. I do know that if we don’t accept the challenge we will be missing out on the greatest blessings of our lifetime. Lot’s wife looked back yearning for the familiar, not trusting in the messengers. Who knows what blessings she missed out on? Are you yearning for the past, reflecting on the past; or are you looking forward and trusting in God for those blessings? Prayer: Dear God, it is much easier to hang on to the past, than to move forward into the unknown. You send warnings and sometimes I heed and sometimes I am like the sons-in-law and I don’t believe. You have taught me it is okay to reflect on the past, but not live in the past. You ask me to trust and obey; to look forward not backwards. Give me the strength to stay focused as I run life’s race, fleeing from those things, people, and places that aren’t good for me. Thank you for your messages that come to me through the Bible, people and circumstances. Let my ears be open and my heart be diligent in following your ways. Amen.
Posted on: Fri, 25 Oct 2013 15:37:00 +0000
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