Moving forward is very serious in the eyes of God. I want you to get a picture in your mind of a huge grizzly bear chasing after you. You know he’s there, and he’s gaining ground. So, why in the world would you turn around to see if he’s there? Exactly, you wouldn’t. That would be the last thing on your mind because your life is at stake. Moving forward is all of a sudden a very serious matter to you. You are fearing for your life. You want to live.
Jesus said three words in Luke 17:32 “Remember Lot’s wife.” What did He mean by that? Well, in order to understand the meaning, you have to go to Genesis 19:26 to recall the account. Here’s what it said, ” But his (Lot’s) wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.” Then in Luke 9:62 Jesus said, “No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” God wants you to keep moving forward, not looking back behind you.
There are a couple of things I want to point out to you so you can keep moving forward in the grace of God this year. First, like the grizzly, the world is ruled by the adversary, the devil. He seeks to rob from you your spiritual inheritance, to take your soul, and to destroy any good works you’ve built for the kingdom of God. The deceiver is a master at the art of deception, so he won’t appear as a mad bear, but the outcome is the same. He taunts you with all the pleasures of the world, so you will look back to what they have to offer. Secondly, notice the position of Lots wife. Her position changed her condition. She was behind Lot. She was in a place of no accountability. Lot couldn’t see her, so he could not keep her in his sight. He wasn’t able to come along side her and help keep her on track. Her unfit condition positioned her for a fall. We need to keep each other accountable. Find a mature Christian to help keep yourself moving forward and be a mentor to others.
No one has more to offer you than God. God doesn’t bring the flash to deceive and manipulate you. It’s just the opposite. You have to seek Him. You have to ask of Him. You have to knock. Her turning back spoke of an inclination to return. It’s too easy to turn back without accountability. This is another case of extreme measures for extreme times.
Corporately, God is speaking to the Church and saying it’s time to turn fully from folly and wholly serve Him. Individually, God is saying, be obedient to Him because He is the one who can give you life or take your life. Only He has the power to do that. God is a loving God, and He’s not waiting for the opportunity to turn you into a salt lick. He wants you to be passionate about Him and all that He’s done for you. However, God is a just God and all will receive accordingly. So, get excited about Him! Get excited the same way you would get excited about things you do for fun with your friends when you go to a sporting event or something. Make moving forward this year a serious matter.
If God be for us, who can be against us.