“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.
Luke 17:31-33 NKJV
She looked back with a longing in her eyes when she heard the impact of the explosion. Everything she loved was ablaze. She only had a second, but in that short window of time, she ached for her family who were left behind. A tear began to slip down her cheek, she would never see her beautiful home again, perfectly designed with skilled workmanship and lavished in handmade furniture.
She had merely escaped with the clothes on her back, leaving beloved outfits behind. Their livelihood, their belongings, and their social status vanished in a moment of time, and so did she when Lot’s wife became a pillar of salt.
Jesus explained the timing of His kingdom to His disciples. Life will go on as normal, just as in the days of Noah and Lot. God delivered Noah and his family before the flood destroyed the world. Lot, his wife, and two daughters were ushered out by angels before God rained down fire and brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot’s married children were already caught up in the sinfulness of their world. We may go through some hard things, but before the times known as The Great Tribulation, all Christians will be raptured out of harm’s way.
What can we learn from Lot’s wife? Don’t cling to this world tightly. The saddest part was leaving some of her family behind. But Mrs. Lot also mourned everything she and her husband had built and worked for. The angels had warned them not to look back, but she saw life as she knew it disappearing.
I can sympathize with this woman, but that truth reinforces my need to release material things. God wants us to enjoy our homes and family, but material and worldly possessions were never meant to be a priority. We need to loosen our grip of the physical, and grasp tightly to the spiritual.
Here we are sitting at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, and what do we long for? I long for my church family and corporate worship. I long to leave my home and get out in the public again. I long to meet people and talk. I long to visit churches, spreading messages of encouragement.
When we settle into a new normal, our priorities will adjust. Will we have new appreciation for our church families? Will people mean more than possessions? Will the spiritual trump the physical?
No, life will never be the same. We will have a new normal, but what if our new normal is better? What if we learn from this experience about the greatest joys of life? Satan intends harm, but God allows it for our good and our growth.
Lord, loosen my grip on the things that will perish. Help me grasp what I can’t see or hold, the spiritual. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
DIG DEEPER
Read Luke 17:26-37
HIKING THE TRAIL
What are the three things you cannot do without? Prayerfully consider your list. Do you need to make any changes?
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Originally posted on April 17, 2020 @ 3:00 am