A woman to be remembered

Isn't it a privilege to be born and raised in a family that knows and teaches Jesus? It is one of the greatest privileges, writes J.C. Ryle, the 1800s author known for his deep, uncompromising teaching. He has written a book called Holiness, and there he mentions a chapter titled A Woman to Be Remembered. I was expecting to read about Hannah, Deborah, or Esther in that chapter, but surprisingly, I found Lot's wife there.

The Bible does not give us much of a story about Lot's wife. But how was her beginning and ending? If we look closely, she lived very close to Abraham, the father of faith. Lot lived with Abraham before moving to Sodom and Gomorrah. In those days, they never had the Bible. But God selected the privileged family of Abraham to know Him personally. I can't even comprehend God reaching out to a family to reveal who He is.

She began like Jacob, David, and Peter but ended like Esau, Saul, and Judas Iscariot. Staying much closer to Jesus, yet not knowing Him. That really scared me. Ryle says she was like Mr. Facing-both-ways, a character in John Bunyan's book. She wanted God and also the world. God took her looking back so seriously and took away all that( her life) He had given her in a second. How disastrous. Was looking back really such a big sin to be punished?

A crack in the wall of a house points to a problem much deeper. It says the foundation is shaken. Our God is a jealous God. He is not going to take it lightly if we replace Him with riches, or with any man, any woman, success, or anything else. Ryle says, "Little things will often show the state of a man's mind even better than the great ones. Little symptoms are often the signs of deadly and incurable disease." Turning to look back, even while holding the angel who directed them to move forward, was a grave mistake by Lot's wife.

Hey friends, most of us are privileged to know God, surrounded by everything about Him. But are we able to make our life all about Him? Is He given the priority? Are we ready to sacrifice our own will for Him? Or are we longingly looking back at the things God willingly took away from us?

When the Bible talks about Lot's wife, it uses the word "Remember." It means we can never forget what she did and what really happened to her. Remember to be careful and remove the problem when the sign first shows up. How dangerous it is to walk closely with Jesus and have a heart that can betray Him at the same time. The fatal end of both Judas and Lot's wife was immediate. They died in their sin. I don't see a story of redemption there.

"Remember Lot's wife." — Luke 17:32.

Let's settle it firmly in our minds.

Dear God,

Thank You for raising us in a God-fearing family. Protect us from every wilful sin that leads to total destruction. May we look forward and move towards the mountain. May we move towards You, leaving behind everything that tries to hold us back. We submit our heart, our mind, and our body to be covered and sealed to fulfil Your will and Your purpose for us. May we never take lightly the things that can remove Your grace from us. Protect us, dear Lord.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.