WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
FEBRUARY 18, 2022
TOPIC: DON’T LOOK BACK
BY T. O. BANSO
“But But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt” (Genesis 19:26 New King James Version).
Remember Lot’s wife. Probably, the deceitfulness of riches caused the wife of Lot to look back, instead of focusing on the journey to escape the fire that was to consume Sodom and Gomorrah. I can’t find any other explanation for her action in the face of impending disaster. Mark 4:19 warns against the worries of life, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desire for other things entering a man’s heart to choke the Word such that it becomes unfruitful.
In Luke 17:32, Jesus warns, “Remember Lot’s wife” (New King James Version). The angels, who came to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city — take them out of this place! For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it” (Genesis 19:12-13 New King James Version).
Verse 15 says, “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’” (New King James Version).
But these angels had to drag Lot and his family out of the city because Lot was lingering; he was foot-dragging; he was hesitating. Verse 16 says, “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” (New King James Version). The entire life investment of Lot and his family was in Sodom. They were about to lose everything. Most probably, therefore, they were unwilling to escape from the city that God was about to destroy.
The angels (men) told Lot (and the family), “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed” (verse 17 New King James Version). But Lot pleaded to be allowed to flee to a near city, Zoar, on the pretext that he couldn’t escape to the mountains, lest some evil overtook him and he died. The angels still granted his request although after Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, Lot was afraid to continue to live there. He fled with his two daughters to the mountains.
However, before then, and as they were escaping from Sodom, verse 26 says, “But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt” (Genesis 19:26 New King James Version). This is unfortunate!
Why did she look back despite God’s mercy that Lot and his family had received? (Verse 19). God had exempted them from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah because of Abraham’s intercession (verses 16-33). He even exempted from destruction Zoar, the city Lot begged to be allowed to flee to (verse 21).
The Bible says where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21; Luke 12:34). It is most likely that Lot’s wife looked back because her treasure was in Sodom, and she couldn’t stop thinking about what she was leaving behind – all that would be lost. The consequence was that she became a pillar of salt. Lot’s wife lost her treasure and lost her life!
This is a lesson for everyone today, especially Christians who are entangled in the affairs of this world to the detriment of their souls. 2 Timothy 2:4 warns, “No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier” (New King James Version). In the words of Jesus Christ: What profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his soul? What will he give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16:26).
Hear Jesus’ warning: “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:34-36 New King James Version). You may not be guilty of careless ease (carousing) and drunkenness, but what of the worries of life?
Don’t get so engrossed in the affairs of this life and forget that you are a stranger and pilgrim on the earth (Hebrews 11:13). You are a sojourner and pilgrim as 1 Peter 2:11 puts it. Your citizenship is not in this world but heaven (Philippians 3:20). One day you’ll leave this earth; the exact time you don’t know. Lot and his family never expected they would one day flee from Sodom and leave everything behind. When you die, you will leave everything behind also. 1 Corinthians 7:31 says, “Those who use the things of the world should not become so attached to them. For this world as we know it will soon pass away” (New Living Translation).
By looking back, Lot’s wife disqualified herself from salvation from the impending doom. Jesus says anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God (Luke 9:62). Don’t look back. And that’s not talking about looking back physically. Don’t look back in your heart. Don’t look at any other thing; look unto Jesus the author and the finisher of your faith (Hebrews 12:2). Set the Lord always before you (Psalm 16:8a).
Lot’s wife looked back and lost the salvation God had prepared for her. If you look back, you may go back to your former sins, to your old ways of life, to the sinful lifestyle you were delivered from. It will be like a dog returning to its vomit, and that’s foolishness. “As a dog returns to his own vomit, So a fool repeats his folly” (Proverbs 26:11 New King James Version).
Remember Lot’s wife. Anyone who returns to his vomit will wallow in it. “Make him drunk, Because he exalted himself against the LORD. Moab shall wallow in his vomit, And he shall also be in derision” (Jeremiah 48:26 New King James Version). And the latter end of such a person shall be worse than the former (2 Peter 2: 20-22). That shall not be your portion.
The children of Israel, in their hearts, turned back to Egypt (Exodus 32:1; Acts 7:39-40). Eventually, this generation of Israelites, excluding Joshua and Caleb, didn’t make it to the Promised Land; they died in the wilderness because of their rebellion.
Lot’s wife should have put Sodom behind her; she shouldn’t have looked back. There are things you must put behind you if you must get to your Promised Land. Otherwise, they’ll hinder you. Remember Lot’s wife. You must forget the old city of sin and follow God to the new city He’s prepared for you (Revelation 21:1, 22-27; Isaiah 65:17; 66:22).
If any man is in Christ, he is a new creature, old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). Paul had to forget some things behind him and pressed forward to those things which were ahead (Philippians 3:13).
The writer of the book of Hebrews says, “For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, my soul has no pleasure in him.’ But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul” (Hebrews 10:37-39 New King James Version). Don’t draw back. Don’t look back. Remember Lot’s wife.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner, and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. I believe Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: I receive the grace not to look back but follow Jesus Christ to the end. I shall not entangle myself with the affairs of this life so that I may please Christ who enlisted as a soldier. The things of this world will not distract me. I shall live as a stranger and pilgrim on earth because my citizenship is of heaven. Father, let all those who have looked back and stopped following Christ, repent and return to Him. Help those who are being distracted by the worries of life, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desire for other things to maintain their focus on Christ and follow Him to the end.
(For over 800 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President, Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org
