Choosing to Look Forward
By Jeannine Sawall
“Then the Lord rained on Sodom and
Gomorrah sulfur and fire from the Lord out of heaven. And he overthrew those
cities, and the entire valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what
grew on the ground. But Lot’s wife, behind him, looked back, and she
became a pillar of salt.”
Genesis 19:26 (NIV)
The Lord
had provided a way out for Lot’s family. He had instructed them to flee from
the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah as judgment was imminent. Lot and his family
were told to leave everything behind and to go and do not look back. Lot loved
the Lord more than he loved the world and when commanded, he fled and did not
look back. Unfortunately, Lot’s wife chose to identify herself with the city
coming under judgment. In choosing to focus on what was behind her, she missed
what God had in front of her and gave up the salvation the Lord had provided
for her.
We might
look at Lot’s wife and think turning into a pillar of salt is definitely Old
Testament stuff, yet the lessons remain the same. Oftentimes, we are tempted to
look back at our sinful life and think of it nostalgically - - “the good ol’
days,” so to speak. Yet, as new creations in the Lord, we are to look to God
for His salvation and not yearn for the days in which we were still in bondage
to sin. There’s no getting around the fact that sin can be pleasurable…for a
time. But sin eventually shows itself for what it is, with damaging
consequences.
There
may also be times when the Lord is moving us into something new, yet we don’t
want to leave what’s behind. Satan brings doubt into our lives by making us
question God’s good intentions. Those questions can pop up when we are being
taken into a new life, new place, new ministry or anything else that takes us
out of our comfort zone. Our natural inclination is to be fearful, to want to
stay put, to be like Lot’s wife…we like what we know: It’s comfortable and
familiar. However, our God will never take us where His grace can’t keep us. If
we choose to stay focused on what we’ve left behind, we will miss an
opportunity for blessing. The alternative? Choose to look forward and trust God
to bring about His good works.
When we
decide to walk with the Lord, we need to be purposeful in our choices to go
forward with Him, no matter where He’s taken us from or taking us to.
He always has a better plan and all He asks is that we choose to
trust Him and go forward.
GOING
DEEPER:
1. Where
is God asking you to trust Him as He moves you forward into something new?
2. Is
there an old habit that continues to draw you back into sin? Ask the Lord
to help you see His way out.
FURTHER
READING:
Jeannine is a wife and mother of four great
boys. She works in the property management business. Jeannine serves in several
behind-the-scenes ministries at Oakwood and has a heart for those who are
grieving.
