Don't look back

"When they were safely out of the city, one of the angels ordered, “Run for your lives! And don’t look back or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away!”              Genesis 19:17.  NLT

We can see from the consequences of this scripture that it is very unwise to disobey God. Sodom was a city full of sexual sin, so bad that God decided to destroy it. He sent two angels who met with Lot. He persuaded them to stay with him overnight. However, men from the vicinity heard about this and pounded on Lot's door, wanting to have sex with them. The conclusion to this was, the angels blinded the men and grabbed Lot, his wife and daughters and encouraged them to leave the city. The one warning was, 'Don't look back or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away.' Lot persuaded the angels to allow them to go to a small village not too far away. The angel agreed. On the way out, Lot's wife looked back to the city and was instantly turned into a pillar of salt. v26

When God speaks to us, it is wise to take notice of what He tells us. For Lot's wife, life was over - she paid the price. We need to think about this and match it with other scriptures. In Luke 9:62, Jesus said: “Anyone who puts a hand to the plough and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.” Jesus was basically saying if we commit to do something, don't look back or you may give up and go back. The Israelites had cried to be rescued from Pharaoh in Egypt but when Moses brought them out, after a time, they started moaning about this and that and wanted to return. The result was, they didn't make it to the Promised Land.

Paul said in Philippians 3: 'Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us v13-14. There is no point in looking back to 'what was'. If it is a pleasant memory then that is ok. However, yearning for what you had, where you lived and what you did, is pointless. You no longer have that life so, what's the point in yearning for it. If you have given something up in order to serve Jesus, don't look back from the plough. If your heart is still there then you will be unsettled to where you are now. Forget the past and look forward to what lies ahead. That is the method to take; it may be hard-going initially but press on so that you can reach your goal. It will be well worth it in the end.

You may have left a certain place to enter new beginnings. It may feel strange and you may begin to miss what you left behind. It's natural but, with perseverance you overcome this. Just think, God may well be wanting to bless and prosper you. You may not see it at first but don't give in, things will get better. That's a promise.

Copyright 2025 Grahame Howard. 

If you don't know Jesus or, have fallen away, why not say this prayer right now
Lord Jesus, I have sinned. I ask you to forgive me and be my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, fill me with Your Spirit and give me a brand new start today. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
dailylifewithjesusbygrahamehoward.blogspot.com  

If you would like to contact me, grahame.howard@hotmail.co.uk

Member of the National Association of Christian Ministers
Why not order my Daily Commentary from Amazon - Paperback or Kindle Check it out. Just tap on Grahame Howard books.