Don’t get stuck in the past 

“Don’t look back.” Genesis 19:17 NLT 

Before God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, He sent angels to warn Lot and his family to get out of town: “‘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!’…But Lot’s wife looked back as she was following behind him, and she turned into a pillar of salt” (vv. 17, 26 NLT). By looking back, Lot’s wife disobeyed a direct instruction from God. As a result, she died – stuck in the past. There are three important lessons here for you. (1) “Don’t…stop anywhere in the valley!” We all go through valley experiences in life, but we must not get stuck in them or set up residence in them. (2) “And don’t look back.” The reason the windshield in your car is larger than the rearview mirror is because you’re supposed to spend most of your time looking through the windshield and only periodically glance in the rearview mirror so you can move forward safely and reach your destination. Getting the idea? (3) “Escape to the mountains, or you will be swept away!” When someone hurts you, you have two choices: take the high road or the low road. When you take the low road and retaliate, something within you begins to die spiritually. But when you take the high road, you grow stronger, wiser, and more mature. When you get stuck in the past, it’s always at the expense of the future. Always! God has better days and better things in store for you. So forgive, forget, and move forward.

The Word for You Today is authored by Bob and Debby Gass and published under licence from Celebration Enterprises, Inc. Copyright © 2024