INDEPENDENCE DAY (USA) (OPTIONAL MEMORIAL)

Don’t look back.

Lot and his family had been warned. God was allowing them to flee the city of Sodom before its destruction, with one condition: they must not look back. Lot’s wife didn’t listen, however, and she was turned into a pillar of salt.

So why did she disobey God’s message through his angels? She might have wanted to see if God would really carry out the punishment of Sodom that he had threatened. Or maybe she grieved for the loss of her home and her sons-in-law and wanted just one last farewell glance (Genesis 19:14). Whatever the case, she paid dearly for her failure to listen to God.

This story shows us that following God’s commands is important, even when we don’t fully understand the reasons behind them. We won’t be turned into a pillar of salt for our transgressions, but our disobedience will affect our relationship with the Lord. Our Father always knows what is best for us, and he gives us his commandments, not to constrain us, but to allow us to grow in holiness and draw closer to him. Not to mention, the more we listen to God and do what he is calling us to do, the more he can use us to share the gospel and reflect his love to the world.

This story also shows us that sometimes the Lord asks us to flee from something that is harming us, something we should leave behind because things will end badly if we don’t. It might be a habitual sin pattern or a situation that continually subjects us to temptation. It might be an unhealthy relationship. Whatever it is, God wants us to move forward in following him. Looking back on what we are losing just makes it all the harder to do that.

For your prayer today, reflect on whether God is asking you to flee from something that is not his will for you. If so, make a resolution to obey him. It might be painful to do, and you may need to keep asking for his grace to stay the course. But trust that God has something so much better for you ahead. And don’t look back!

“Father, you know what’s best for me. Help me to listen to you in all things.”

Genesis 19:15-29
Psalm 26:2-3, 9-12
Matthew 8:23-27