Genesis 19: 15–17 & 23-26
"When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, “Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.” And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city. So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.”
"The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar. Then the LORD rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens. So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.
But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt."
In this story of the Bible we learn about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and how God made a way of escape for His own people following Abraham’s intercession (Genesis 18). He made provision to save Lot and his household. He was merciful to them and sent angels to lead them out of the city to a place of safety so they will not be destroyed. This story points to the fact that indeed the wages of sin is death but in God through His Son Jesus we find eternal life.
The tragic part of this story though is that even though God in His mercy and grace made a way for Lot, his wife and household to come out of darkness into light, Lot’s wife chose to look back. Unfortunately, that looking back cost her, her life.
I believe God will say to us his daughters, never look back to the past. Don’t look back to your old life. You are a new creation, old things have passed away, all things have been made new. Don’t lust after the world and the things of the world. Let your desire be to move forward into God’s Destiny and plan for your life. Stop longing for the old corruptible things that will steal from you. The pulling of the flesh is what causes us to long for the old way of life, to long for the aimless way of life of the world.
Dear Sister, there is no way out in the world, so fix your eyes on Jesus and let the Holy Spirit and God’s grace move you forward into His purposes. The world will promise us much but deliver very little. In Christ Jesus, God’s promises for you are Yes and Amen. Are you looking for fulfilment, success, fruitfulness as a believing woman, pay attention to God’s instructions and obey His Word and the true voice of the Holy Spirit and these things will be yours according to God’s will. If Lot’s wife had listened and obeyed, her story will have been different.
There was still a secret desire in Lot’s wife for all she had become accustomed to in Sodom and Gomorrah. That desire caused her to lose her life and open the door for the enemy to come into her family. So much so later we read about her daughters making their father drunk and sleeping with him. If she had not given in to her taste for the world, probably this will not have happened. God’s Word to you and I is to watch what we desire for. Watch what you crave for.
So now is the time to allow God to search us and see if there are wrong desires for the old life in us, so he can cleanse us. He will do it if we invite Him. Now is the time to look forward to God’s wonderful destiny for our lives. He has good plans for you and I, to prosper us and bring us peace. My prayer for all of us is that the Lord will cleanse us from every secret desire for the worldly life in Jesus name. May He grant that we have godly desires, His desires. May our full hope be in Him and Him alone. We have set our hands to the plough; may we never look back in Jesus name.
His grace is available and sufficient for you and I....