Luke 17:32 

During my first year of marriage, my husband had been praying during his morning devotions when he felt that God was calling us to move to England to serve with a missionary family. 

The day finally arrived when we landed in the UK. I knew very little about the UK except what I had seen in movies and read in books. Everything was unfamiliar, family was far away, nothing was the way it was “back home”. I had opportunities daily to think about how much easier it would be if we were just ‘back in the USA’. The temptation to return would often pull on my thoughts. More times than I care to admit, I would tell my husband, ‘we should just quit and go home’…

Thankfully, we had made a commitment to stay for 2 years and my husband was convinced we were never going back, only forward! Many times, I did give into my emotions, but every single time God and Matt helped me to keep pushing forward. Now nearly 25 years later, I see how looking back would have caused me to miss out on my destiny. 

This reminded me of the Bible story of Lot's wife. Lot’s visiting angels urged him to get his family and flee, so as to avoid being caught in the impending disaster of their city. The command was given, “Flee for your life! Do not look back…” The Bible says that Lot's wife looked back and as she did, she turned into a pillar of salt!

The Hebrew meaning for “looked back” is more than to glance over your shoulder. It means “to regard, to consider, to give attention to.” We will never know all that caused Lot's wife to look back, but we do know that what she chose to give her heart's attention to that fateful day, led her to look back and with that she turned into a pillar of salt.

The role of salt in the Bible represents permanence, loyalty, durability, fidelity, usefulness, and value. This meant that all these wonderful qualities in Lot's wife were literally stopped in their place. No longer could her usefulness or value be counted on. No longer could her daughters have their loyal mom stand up to protect them. No longer would the durable one be there to keep everything going when things got tough. All this goodness was stopped in its tracks as a pillar of salt, never to go forward and enjoy the life ahead because she chose to look back.

She is described as a “pillar.” The Hebrew for “pillar” refers to something set to watch over something else. The image of Lot's wife standing watch over the Dead Sea area—where to this day no life can exist—is a reminder to us not to look back or turn back. 

Today you might be tempted to look back. So many life scenarios we could mention here but the point is that all the while you are looking back your goodness can’t go forward. 

Looking back will usually return us and cause us to miss out on amazing opportunities that God has planned for our destiny. Make the decision you will no longer regard or pay attention to what is behind. Make the changes needed so you can discover the amazing future that will surpass everything you once held on to.

Posted 7/15/2023