Don’t Look Back

If there is one thing that can stop us from stepping into the purpose and promises of God in the coming year, it is this one thing: looking back.

I believe that the Lord spoke strongly to me this brief word of exhortation: Don’t Look Back.

Luke 17:32–33 NKJV

32 Remember Lot’s wife. 33 Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.

There is a warning and a promise in this story that I believe the Lord wants us to receive tonight.

Many are familiar with the story of Lot’s family’s escape from Sodom and Gomorrah. They were living in that city when its sins had become so great that God had to respond.

God told Abraham that He was going to bring judgment to the city, but gave him an opportunity to pray for the city before hand (this is especially important because Lot was Abraham’s nephew). Abraham prayed to the Lord and ultimately stopped after asking for God to spare the city if there were 10 righteous people there (Genesis 18:16-33).

There were not.

God in His mercy sent angels to Lot and told him that judgment was coming. They told him to grab those who they were close to and get out of the city—son-in-law, sons, daughters, whoever (Genesis 19:8).

Lot went out immediately and told his sons-in-law but to them “he seemed to be joking” (Genesis 19:14).

Genesis 19:15–17 NKJV

15 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.” 16 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. 17 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.”

Before stepping off, Lot asked of the angels to let them go to the small city named Zoar instead of the mountains. And God showed him favor and allowed him and his family to go there.

Genesis 19:23–26 NKJV

23 The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar. 24 Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens. 25 So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. 26 But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

Looking Back

Jesus’ words were “remember Lot’s wife.” What did she do? She looked back.

What was she doing? Seeking to save her life(style) and in doing so lost it.

As we move into the new year, God is calling us to keep our eyes forward, looking to Him.

God is always leading us in triumph in Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14). Your victory is ahead of you, not behind you. God’s blessings are yet ahead of you. His promises to give you a future and a hope are in front of you (Jeremiah 29:11). The best is yet to come!

There will be a temptation to wait. - Lot had to be dragged. He was half-hearted. He lingered, then argued, then begged. God always commands you to move toward His good and acceptable and perfect will for your life (cf. Romans 12:2). Don’t wait to step out on the promise. Don’t linger.

There will be a temptation to worry. Maybe she thought that things in her life were not that bad and worried about the unknown future. Her worry kept her from experiencing the deliverance and freedom that God was offering to her. Trust in the Lord and in the power of His might…He is bringing you out so He can bring you in to something new (cf. Ephesians 6:10, Deuteronomy 6:23).

There will be a temptation to wonder. She failed to trust God enough to obey believing what was behind her was better than what was ahead of her. As a result, she missed the blessing of God. God loves you and works everything for the good to those who love Him and are called by Him (Romans 8:28). Trust Him. Obey Him. And receive the good that He has for you.

She looked and set her attention backward. She wanted to return to what was instead of go forward into what God was doing.

Looking Forward

Paul had the opposite perspective on pursuing God. He looked forward.

Philippians 3:8–14 TPT

8 To truly know him meant letting go of everything from my past and throwing all my boasting on the garbage heap. It’s all like a pile of manure to me now, so that I may be enriched in the reality of knowing Jesus Christ and embrace him as Lord in all of his greatness. 9 My passion is to be consumed with him and not clinging to my own “righteousness” based in keeping the written Law. My “righteousness” will be his, based on the faithfulness of Jesus Christ—the very righteousness that comes from God. 10 And I continually long to know the wonders of Jesus more fully and to experience the overflowing power of his resurrection working in me. I will be one with him in his sufferings and I will be one with him in his death. 11 Only then will I be able to experience complete oneness with him in his resurrection from the realm of death. 12 I admit that I haven’t yet acquired the absolute fullness that I’m pursuing, but I run with passion into his abundance so that I may reach the purpose that Jesus Christ has called me to fulfill and wants me to discover. 13 I don’t depend on my own strength to accomplish this; however I do have one compelling focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead. 14 I run straight for the divine invitation of reaching the heavenly goal and gaining the victory-prize through the anointing of Jesus.

Remember Lot’s wife — don’t look back. Instead press forward. Forget all of the past and fasten your heart to the future that God has for you instead. And you will see God do amazing things in the coming year.

Living With The Future In Mind

This year, let us live with the future in mind. Let us start new habits and kill old ones.

Proverbs 25:4 NKJV

Take away the dross from silver, And it will go to the silversmith for jewelry.

What things can you (should you) remove from your life so that you can walk in your calling? Examples: sin/vice, junk food, wrong influences, etc.

What things can you (should you) add to your life so that you can walk in your calling? Examples: goodness/virtue, healthy lifestyle, right relationships, prayer, fasting, church, bible, etc.

The person you are tomorrow is determined by the choices that you make today.

What seeds will you sow today that you can walk in tomorrow? Choose God. Choose righteousness. Choose blessing.

Don’t look back. Don’t go back. Move forward. Press into your purpose. This is the acceptable year of the Lord—the year of His favor—if you will walk in faith and pursue Him.