Where and how we go, matters to God.
In real estate, location is a major factor in a buyer’s quest to purchase a house. But in our journey with Jesus, location is not a factor. On a time line of walking with God, location does not equate “lovecation.” One can be a Christian for a long time and not love Christ intimately. Or one can be a new believer who is hungry for the Word of God and loves to learn more.
Direction, however, is a strong indicator and factor of where our heart lies. Two major directions determine the course of our relationship with Jesus. Forward and Upward.
🍃🍃🍃
In Genesis 19, we see Lot’s wife in a vulnerable situation. The angel gives dire warning to Lot, his wife, and two daughters to flee Sodom and Gomorrah.
When God calls us to go forward, he does so because there is nothing of purpose that the past can provide anymore. Sodom and Gomorrah offers only wickedness and nothing in terms of worth and worship to Lot and his family. The city is to be ditched and destroyed.
“One of the angels ordered, “Run for your lives! And don’t look back or stop anywhere in the valley! Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away!” (Genesis 19:17)
Trusting in God means trusting His instructions even when the unknown terrifies us to pieces. The certainty of uncertainty is that we will be swept away, either in the hands of God or in the hands of fear. Given the choice, falling into God > falling into fear.
🍃🍃🍃
If the direction of our response can alter our destination, then it’s best to reset our departure where God is waiting and wanting us to go. God’s grace doesn’t leave us hanging, but shows us the best route we should pursue for our greater good. Instruction and protection, in the providence of God, are intertwining wreaths of laurel woven for every one of us who embarks on an uncertain path. Lot’s wife receives one as well.
First, the angel gives the direction of Forward: “Run ahead….don’t look back.” A striking imagery is hiking in the woods. It is best to look ahead, especially if you are on a trail that’s heavily wooded and the ground is well covered with flora. If you peer backwards instead of where you’re going, you’re likely to trip and fall. This is exactly what happens to Lot’s wife. She trips over her own fears and falls far from the life she could have had.
Secondly, the angel gives the direction of Upward: “Resist stopping in the valley….look to the mountains.” If you are in the thick of the woods and find yourself unsure of where you are headed, it’s recommended that you climb to the highest elevation possible and assess your location. Or, you can look to the sky to find north where the North Star can be found. The idea is to look upward and forward to establish a reference point. For Lot’s family, God’s plan of rescue is in the mountains, not in the valley. However, instead of setting her reference point as the mountains, Lot’s wife makes an inferior choice of disobedience by turning around in the valley.
🍃🍃🍃
God’s plan is for us to move Forward and Upward, not backwards and downward. But what if we reject God’s provision for us to seek the right direction?
“You will be swept away.”
After Lot’s wife turns back, she gets swept away into a pillar of salt. Her choice consumes her, literally. Her story is a consequence of disregarding admonition from God. She misses the door for freedom from the debauchery of Sodom, and a future with her family in a better place. Lot’s wife misses out on the blessings and benefits of not following the words and wisdom implemented for her protection.
Similarly, when we lack trust in God’s plan for our lives, we torch our sense of direction. When we rush backward and downward, we run into spiritual challenges that prevent us from moving forward and upward with God. In her case, she receives more turmoil and tragedy than she bargains for: a demise that could have been avoided had she listened instead of leaned on her own understanding. The lesson gathered here: to lean towards the Upward and Forward will cost you a lot less in the long-run.
🍃🍃🍃
Beloved, choose to go Forward and Upward and take hold of the mountains that God wants you to set as a goal. The prize of reaching that mountain, the Real Truth, is worth overcoming your fear of the uncertainty. When God speaks truth into your life by calling you forward and upward, go ahead and…….
Listen.
Lean into.
Lean on.
Lean all in for His glory.
©️ 2018 Breathe Truth