Remembering Lot’s Wife

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I listened to a podcast the other day about obedience in doing what The Lord calls us to, and she said of all the women in the Bible, The Lord told us to remember Lot’s wife.

To give a quick snippet of the story, Lot and his family fled Sodom and Gomorrah, to which The Lord rained down Sulfur and fire to destroy the wicked cities. So, when Lot and his people were fleeing, Lot’s wife turned back to look at the destruction of the cities, and The Lord turned her into a pillar of salt.

The story of Lot’s wife is ultimately an example of what happens to those who choose the world over Jesus.

Here recently, though, I’ve felt a strong conviction in feeling like there’s this weight of missing closure from a time in my life many years ago. I have ached for months in feeling like I deserve an answer for a season of life that raises so many “what if” questions for me.

I’ve been splaying my heart open for The Lord to convict the parts of it that are not clinging to the truth of His promises. I’ve asked that He remove the desire for worldly closure when I know that He’s already defeated the world, and all my answers and hope come from Him, who is above, not behind.

Easier said than done, right?

Sometimes, talking to God can feel like talking to a wall, or even like talking it out with Him leads me to an answer I already knew, but didn’t like, so then I get frustrated.

I’ve leaned into this devotional here lately called “You’re Going to Make It” by Lysa TerKeurst, which I’ll link for you, but it’s been so refining and convicting.

Day 17 was all about “when life gets hard, let your heart stay soft.”

The main takeaway was, “Even if your life looks different than you thought it would, it can still be stunningly beautiful. Make the choice right here and right now that you're going to let your heart stay soft and believe there’s still goodness to be found today.”

C O N V I C T I O N

I am so bad about looking behind sometimes and questioning The Lord’s goodness in trying seasons, and by this, I mean I am not one to easily forget the heartache, and I tend to cling to the pain rather than surrendering it to The Lord.

I know the fault in this. Truly, I do, and I feel the conviction of it.

Then when I listened to that podcast and heard the story of Lot’s wife, I was like, “crap, not me.”

I don’t want to be the woman who lives her life in the rearview mirror, subconsciously doubting The Lord’s provision and promises for my life.

I don’t want to question His goodness and faithfulness to me.

I want to be a woman of faith and good intention – both for my own life and others but have come to realize that I can’t do any of those things if I question the season The Lord has called me to and live life walking backward.

While Lot’s wife can be an example of choosing worldly possessions, addictions, lust, desires, and money (literally fill in the blank), it can also be an example of not setting our hearts on The Messiah.

It’s easy to look around and question the faithfulness of God when we feel like we're in a season of drought and feel confused by the famine, but friend, I encourage you to think really hard about that season you’re in.

What can you gain from this?

How can you use this story to further The Kingdom?

Is there a part of your heart that needs to be mended?

Are you being honest with yourself about your intentions?

The Lord knows your heart; He knows every fiber of it.

There’s nothing you can or can’t say that pushes him farther away from our brokenness; for example, I was encouraged when talking to a colleague about the state of the world right now, and he said the most profound thing.

“Consider how vastly Jesus loves us, that despite the brokenness and sin that’s corrupting our world at a compound rate, He’s still holding out for more of us to turn our hearts towards Him.”

To know that the world breaks His heart but that He’s still holding on for the sake of us and our salvation is hard to fathom.

May that serve as a reminder of how loved and pursued we are by The Father, though.

Invite Him in your mess and turn your eyes towards him, not the world, as Lot’s wife is an example that nothing good remains behind us.

XX, Kaela