Including God in Our Plans

 
My thought for the day:
The story of Lot's wife has always fascinated me. I remember, as a child, leafing through the family bible and looking at the pictures that depicted the agony of the Cross, the parting of the Red Sea, the baptism of Christ and many others. One picture, in particular, always caught my rapt attention. It showed a man and woman and their two daughters being pulled away from a burning city by two angels who instructed all of them not to look back as they left. The man and his daughters are walking with determination, with their eyes straight ahead, but the mother has turned to look at the burning city. Her face reflects disbelief as she watches the fire and brimstone fall from heaven. Her city, Sodom, is being destroyed.

The picture always disturbed me because I wanted them all to escape and flee to the mountains, and I wondered why she chose to disobey the angel's instructions to not look back. The woman's name is not mentioned in Scripture. She is simply known as "Lot's wife." Other women in the Bible who became symbols of something are remembered by name. Sarah, Esther, Ruth, Naomi, Mary, and the list can go on and on. But, this woman is nameless.

We don't know why she hesitated to leave her city which was about to be destroyed because of its sinful behavior.. Perhaps she had learned to love the well watered plains or treasured the friendship of the women whom she met daily at the city well to draw water. Whatever the reasons for her glance backward, she paid a dear price for it. Once the judgement of God fell upon her she became a woman who belonged nowhere. She could not return to her city and she could not proceed with her husband and daughters. She could not retreat to the past or move into the future. She was changed into a pillar of salt and became a symbol...of disobedience.

Our times today are no different than those of Sodom. People are marrying, building, planting and planning their lives. Many do not include God in their plans. They don't take time to seek God and refuse to accept the salvation that Jesus offers. How about you? Do you live your life to be pleasing to God,or do you live it haphazardly, thinking that there are no values, no morals, no obligation or responsibilities...no God. Life is short. Don't be careless. Don't be foolish. If you have not thought about the destruction that will come upon this world one day because of sin, it is time to think about it now. God has provided a way of escape if you will simply believe upon His son, Jesus Christ, as your personal Savior. 

John 3:16, says, "God sent his only begotten Son into the world,so that whosoever believes upon Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."