Hello sisters and brothers in Christ,
My message today to the ladies in the Women of the Bible devotional study I thought was so valuable that I wanted to share it with everyone because it pertains to most likely half of everyone who is reading this blog.
Below is the message. Have a blessed day.
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
Her legacy in Scripture
Good Morning Ladies.
It is pretty amazing how the Lord can use such a short story to paint such a big picture.
The story of Lot’s wife is so brief, but when you ask yourself the questions in our study book associated with her story, the answers can be very long and even painful to address within yourself.
I remember before this study began, I mentioned to you all a devotional I was reading to prepare myself for leading this study and there was a portion dedicated to looking back and Lot’s wife. I knew her story in this study would be intriguing and thought provoking for me and it has been.
Due to the events of the past 18 months and overall the past five years, I have had plenty of cause to look back. I have looked back on a 22-year career in print journalism. I have looked back on a 10 and a half year relationship that turned sour and left me nearly dead. And now, as the listing for my house finally goes live, I look back at the past 20 years I have spent in Arizona, the many good times I have had and how my time here has prospered me.
So, to answer question number 5 of Her legacy in Scripture, which asks, “What does leaving the past behind mean for you right now?” My answer is this:
It means saying goodbye to hurtful memories, happy memories, family and friends and to a wilderness I did not want to return to but one that I did indeed become rooted. (I lived here for 17 years at one time prior to returning in 1998).
Lot’s wife surely had plenty of reasons to look back. Curiosity alone, as they say killed the cat, to the trauma behind her had to have played a part. Also, running to an unknown place without anything familiar had to have been another reason for her to look back.
We are more fortunate than Lot’s wife that we can look back and not physically turn to salt, but what does it do to your mind and disposition when you refuse to stop looking back and do not look forward? We might not turn into a physical pillar of salt, but our stagnation makes us like pillars, unable to move and do what we are supposed to do.
So, as per the ladies we have already studied, I seem to be living out some of Lot’s wife’s life as well. And that is what is so special about this study is that we can learn so much about ourselves from these ladies. It was hard as heck for me to put my house on the market, I dragged my feet in fear, as much as I have wanted to leave, because of all I knew I would be leaving behind and the fear of the unknown ahead of me.
We tend to forget the reasons we want and need to move forward when the task to move forward is put in front of us. Letting go is not easy.
God gave Lot’s family a chance to escape. He commanded them not to look back. When I was commanded by God to leave the cool breezes of Torrance Beach in Southern California, I cried every day for a month and when I drove away, I did not even look at the ocean (which was out my front door) or turn back for one last look. Doing so would have caused me too much pain at that time, and I have not once been back to the street in which I lived for 15 years.
It hurts to let go. It hurts to say goodbye, even when we know it is for the best. So try to stop looking back and start moving forward. Listen for the Lord’s calling for your life and go give it your best shot, because He is waiting to help you in your move forward.
See you all tomorrow …
