S106P7 – How soon we forget: look forward
Lk. 17:30-33
Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.
Slowly but surely, his life was progressively advancing to its end. The addiction that once seemed like fun and games began to ruin every aspect of his life. There was a part of him that recognized that things needed to change, but a much greater part of him simply could not turn away from that high. It would take an intervention to get him to even consider entering treatment. One ultimatum after another was laid down before him, and he felt like he had no choice. He would board that airplane looking back at the city he was leaving with tears in his eyes. Unfortunately, his journey through treatment would end when the plane touched down at the next airport. He longed too much for that old life after only a few hours and flew himself back home where his addiction would take his life.
The command here to remember Lot’s wife is about understanding what we leave behind in this world when Jesus returns for us. If we know him and love him, we will have no issue looking into his face and following him without even considering the life we leave here. The problem is that there are those who, when faced with the choice of moving toward the Lord and away from the lives they have built here, will find that is a difficult decision to make. They will look back as Lot’s wife did when they only need keep their eyes forward and focused on deliverance. If we long for what we are losing, then we will lose everything the Lord desires to give us. Those who treasure this life more than what awaits them in the next will never see anything better than this life here.
Lot’s wife met a terrible end. In an instant, she became a pillar of salt. Her lack of focus on what God had ahead for her was the same as rejecting that future. We cannot forget the seriousness of our faith. We cannot forget the seriousness of our Lord. He is looking for those who are 100% committed to joining him in eternity. We cannot question that decision when the time comes to join him. Remembering Lot’s wife should help us remember our commitment to the Lord. We cannot say that we are for him now if we will not be able to say that we are for him then. Father, by your Spirit make our faith pure and honest, that we would long for the arrival of our King and miss nothing of this world when He comes to have us join him.