"Remember Lot's wife"

 In the days of Abraham, the ideal place to live was a city called Sodom. It was a place of prosperity being located in a fertile, well watered valley where the "Good Life," could be lived. It had a reputation of being "Like the Garden of the Lord." Genesis 13:16

Who wouldn't want to live in Paradise? Hard wired into every man is a desire to live in Paradise. The drive is so strong that man will do most anything to experience that ideal living condition while here on the Earth even if it's only for a short time.

When Lot's uncle Abraham gave Lot the choice as to where he wanted to live, he chose "Paradise Valley" which was Sodom.

You have to believe that Lot's wife had something to do with his decision, after all bright lights and good food are compelling.

But, the "Good Life" did not satisfy the residents of Sodom. We find in the text, Genesis 13:13 that the residents turned to perversion, and perversion decayed to the point of just plain wickedness as it always does until finally God says, "Enough is Enough, I must purge this wickedness from the Earth."

In His mercy, because of Lot's uncle, God sends his messengers to warn Lot of the upcoming judgment. Lot reads the writing on the wall and obeys the messengers, but his wife has second thoughts.

As they are escaping and leaving the "Old Life," behind they are warned, "Do not look back."

Have you noticed that people who live in the past, always comparing things to the way they used to be or wishing that things in their past world have turned out better for them, seem like they have a mouth full of salt, they are bitter and resentful.

Why would anyone look back to Sodom, a picture of this life and all of its empty promises, when the life ahead will be better than we could even imagine. I Corinthians 2: 9 promises us, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him."

As I look around my neighborhood, I see everyone trying to accomplish two things; to have as much fun as possible and to avoid as much pain as possible. Remember what I said about everyone wanting to experience Paradise now?

Interestingly, the Bible , in light of our glorious future, promises pain and suffering. In Revelation 21:4, the Bible tells us that, "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." And in Romans 8:18, we are promised, yet what we suffer is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us." 

The more we look to the future and its promises, the more we are prepared to leave this life and its empty promises.

Lot's wife looked back on the garden that she left behind whereas we should be looking forward to the Garden that is awaiting us in Paradise, no comparison. I Corinthians 2:9.

The idea is to go to the prize not leave the prize like the rich landowner did in Luke 12:15-21. Jesus called that man a short-sighted fool. "Then he said, Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own (how much you leave behind.)

Jesus gives us good advise in the Sermon on the Mount where he said, "Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store up your treasures in Heaven where moth and rust cannot destroy, (or fire and brimstone as was the case in Lot's wife's treasure), and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your heart is there the desires of your heart will also be."

Remember Jesus' warning whenever you are tempted to look back on how things used to be or how things could have been. "Remember Lot's wife."

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