No More Looking Back For Me
Was I looking back like Lot’s wife resulting in sorrow? Gosh, nailed me again. I am really thankful for Holy Spirit’s lessons on what to do and what not to do, and the consequences that develop.
I found myself feeling a bit sorrowful regarding some choices I made in following Christ. Please, get this straight, it wasn’t the part about following Jesus who I prefer to call Yeshua, because there never really was a choice for me, but it was things that resulted in my life, circumstances, that at the moment seemed a bit hard to deal with.
Waking up this morning, with lots of Holy Spirit assistance, I was remembering Lot’s wife and her mistake of looking back, resulting in her turning into salt. What a great teaching this is, regarding following the Lord- the safety in it, and the foolishiness of questioning, or looking back at all!
I was feeling completely undone, abit like like the grandfather in Little Lord Fauntleroy when he realized what he had done to his son’s widowed wife. (If you haven’t seen this, it is one of our family favorites, such a loving story!)
All I can say is, Forgive me Father, for I have sinned, and thank you for keeping my sin ever before me! Truly, where would I be without His great amazing ever present GRACE!
It became even clearer, as I began to read in Proverbs 1:23-33 “Turn you at my reproof: Behold, I will pour out my spirit upon you; I will make known my words unto you.Because I have called, and ye have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man hath regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, And would none of my reproof:I also will laugh in the day of your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;When your fear cometh as a storm, And your calamity cometh on as a whirlwind; When distress and anguish come upon you.Then will they call upon me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they shall not find me:For that they hated knowledge, And did not choose the fear of Jehovah:They would none of my counsel; They despised all my reproof.Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, And be filled with their own devices.For the backsliding of the simple shall slay them, And the careless ease of fools shall destroy them. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell securely, And shall be quiet without fear of evil.”
Then, I found myself reading in Luke 17:32-33 “Remember Lot’s wife. Whosoever shall seek to gain his life shall lose it: but whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.”
By the time I began reading Luke 9:62 “But Jesus said unto him: No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” I had read this Scripture many times before. This time it spoke volumes to how dumb it is to be sorrowful, when you are following Christ.
Holy Spirit reminded me of Luke 9:59-60. “And he said unto another: Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.But he said unto him, Leave the dead to bury their own dead; but go thou and publish abroad the kingdom of God.” It sounds like following Him should take preeminence over all, everything!
Following Christ may not always be easy, but it is always best. When you are tempted to be sorrowful for a second remember Lot’s wife and the result. The joy of the Lord is our strength.
The Creator of Everything knows everything! What He wants is the best and our only choice! The surrounding circumstances will work for good because He promised. If I could only not hate myself right now for letting Him down with such nonsense!
Charleen