Day 8 – The temptation to look back

“𝐵𝑢𝑡 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑤𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑘𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑏𝑒ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑖𝑚, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑎 𝑝𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑎𝑙𝑡.” 𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑠 19:26 (𝐾𝐽𝑉)

There is a subtle temptation in all of us: to keep turning around. To keep looking back. To revisit old failures. To rehearse past shame. To monitor former seasons. But the armour is not built for backward living. When Lot’s wife looked back in the Book of Genesis 19, her backward glance cost her forward movement forever. She looked back and could therefore never move forward again. Looking back froze her in place. She was now stuck in a place that God meant for her to only move through.

You were not clothed to relive yesterday. You were clothed to stand today. To move in the direction in which the Lord wants you to move. When you continually look over your shoulder, you communicate distrust. You imply that God may not be guarding what is behind you. But: He is. He’s got your back! He guards the consequences you fear. He guards the reputation you worry about. He guards the unseen attack forming in secret. Your responsibility is obedience in the present and faith in His promises. His responsibility is sovereignty over the unseen, and you can trust Him to always be faithful and do what He promised to do. He will always have your back, so that you don’t have to look back.

Prayer: Thank You, Father, for always being by my side and protecting me so that I can keep moving forward. Thank you for urging me not to look back. Please help me not to be like Lot’s wife. Not to get stuck in a place You meant for me to only be moving through. Amen.

Written by Michelle Horn