Remember Lot's Wife

In Genesis 19, God mercifully sent angels to rescue Lot and his family from Sodom, a city marked by corruption and destruction. As they fled, they were given a clear command, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back". Lot pleads with the Lord, transparent in his fear and limitations. God again shows grace and mercy. But in verse 26, we read: “But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.”

We don't even know this woman's name, but I see myself in her struggle and understand the pull she must have felt. She had been physically rescued, yet her heart was still tied to the place she left behind. She was looking for refuge in an overwhelming circumstance, she just wasn't looking in the right place. Instead of fixing her eyes on God’s refuge ahead, she looked back longingly to her old life and old ways. In doing so, she became stuck—literally, frozen in place—a pillar of salt.

When We Look Back

Lot’s wife reminds us that freedom is not just about leaving something behind—it’s about trusting God enough to walk forward with Him. When we keep looking back to old comforts, false refuges, or familiar patterns, we risk getting stuck in them.

We may not turn into salt, but emotionally and spiritually, we can feel just as frozen:

• Stuck in lies that formed from old wounds.

• Stuck in unhealthy patterns that once felt safe, but now keep us trapped.

• Stuck in self-protection instead of surrendering to God’s healing.

  
  

Jesus’ Warning

In Luke 17:32–33, Jesus gives a short but powerful command: “Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.”

Jesus is reminding us that clinging to our old ways—our control, our false identities, our “safe places”—only leads to loss. But when we lay down our lives for Him, we gain what our hearts are really longing for: true freedom.

True Refuge

Lot’s wife looked back to what she thought would keep her safe, but it cost her everything. God was offering her refuge and new life, but she couldn’t let go of the old.

The same is true for us. Healing comes when we stop turning back to lies, false refuges, and self-protection—and instead trust the Lord as our true refuge. He doesn’t just call us out of brokenness; He walks with us into restoration.

A Question for Reflection

Where are you tempted to “look back”?

What old patterns or lies feel easier to hold on to than trusting God with the unknown ahead?

What does it look like in your daily rhythm to "lose your life"? How have you surrendered to the Lord?

Today, ask Him to give you the courage to release those false refuges and step forward into His promise of freedom.

“Whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” – Matthew 10:39