Bible League: Living His Word “Remember Lot's wife.”— Luke 17:32 ESV God had decided to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of the people’s wicked ways, but there was a problem. The problem was that Lot, a righteous man, was living in Sodom with his family. Consequently, the angels who would destroy the cities had to get Lot and his family out of there before disaster struck. The angels said to Lot, “Up! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be swept away in the punishment of the city” (Genesis 19:15). Since Lot lingered, the angels had to physically seize him and his family by the hand and lead them outside the city. The angels then said, “Escape for your life. Do not look back or stop anywhere in the valley. Escape to the hills, lest you be swept away” (Genesis 19:17). In spite of the warning, Lot’s wife looked back as the disaster struck and she became a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26). Things change. Life has its seasons. The seasons follow one after the other—whether you want them to or not. That’s the lesson of Ecclesiastes: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1). If God decides that a particular season in your life is over, then it’s time to leave it behind and move on to the next season, it’s time to move forward and not linger. In our verse for today Jesus told His followers to remember Lot’s wife because He wanted them to understand this basic truth. He wanted them to be ready for the season to come and not get caught in the season to be left behind. The trouble with Lot’s wife is that she wasn’t ready. She wasn’t willing. She looked back to the old season. She wanted to hold on to it. She was more concerned with what was behind her than what was ahead of her. The trouble with looking back, however, is that you risk disaster. The grace of God lies in the next season, not in the old one. God is not happy when you look back. Perhaps you sense that the Lord is leading you by the hand to the next season of your life. Perhaps you even sense that disaster is looming if you fail to follow Him. If so, then don’t linger and don’t look back. Remember Lot’s wife—and then move forward to what lies ahead. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingJob 16, 17, 18 Job 16 -- Job Reproves His Friends for Their Unmerciful Outlook; Maintains His Innocence NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Job 17 -- Job Appeals from Men to God NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Job 18 -- Bildad Reproves Job for Presumption and Impatience NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Acts 9:1-22 Acts 9 -- Saul's Conversion; Ananias; Saul Begins to Preach; Aeneas and Dorcas NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.Insight Mark's Gospel emphasizes Christ's power as well as his servanthood. Jesus' life and teaching turn the world upside down. The world sees power as a way to gain control over others. But Jesus, with all authority and power in heaven and earth, chose to serve others. He held children in his arms, healed the sick, washed the disciples' feet, and died for the sins of the world. Challenge Following Jesus means receiving this same power to serve. As believers, we are called to be servants of Christ. As Christ served, so we are to serve. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon 1 Thessalonians 4:14 Them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.Let us not imagine that the soul sleeps in insensibility. "Today shalt thou be with me in paradise," is the whisper of Christ to every dying saint. They "sleep in Jesus," but their souls are before the throne of God, praising him day and night in his temple, singing hallelujahs to him who washed them from their sins in his blood. The body sleeps in its lonely bed of earth, beneath the coverlet of grass. But what is this sleep? The idea connected with sleep is "rest," and that is the thought which the Spirit of God would convey to us. Sleep makes each night a Sabbath for the day. Sleep shuts fast the door of the soul, and bids all intruders tarry for a while, that the life within may enter its summer garden of ease. The toil-worn believer quietly sleeps, as does the weary child when it slumbers on its mother's breast. Oh! happy they who die in the Lord; they rest from their labors, and their works do follow them. Their quiet repose shall never be broken until God shall rouse them to give them their full reward. Guarded by angel watchers, curtained by eternal mysteries, they sleep on, the inheritors of glory, till the fulness of time shall bring the fulness of redemption. What an awaking shall be theirs! They were laid in their last resting place, weary and worn, but such they shall not rise. They went to their rest with the furrowed brow, and the wasted features, but they wake up in beauty and glory. The shrivelled seed, so destitute of form and comeliness, rises from the dust a beauteous flower. The winter of the grave gives way to the spring of redemption and the summer of glory. Blessed is death, since it, through the divine power, disrobes us of this work-day garment, to clothe us with the wedding garment of incorruption. Blessed are those who "sleep in Jesus." Daily Light on the Daily Path 1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.John 6:40 "For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day." 1 John 3:22 and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. Matthew 11:30 "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." John 14:15,21 "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. • "He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." Proverbs 3:13 How blessed is the man who finds wisdom And the man who gains understanding. Proverbs 3:17 Her ways are pleasant ways And all her paths are peace. Psalm 119:165 Those who love Your law have great peace, And nothing causes them to stumble. Romans 7:22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 1 John 3:23 This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. Romans 13:10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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