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Tuesday, July 4, 2023

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Genesis 19:15-29
Psalm 26:2-3, 9-12
Matthew 8:23-27

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“Lot’s wife looked back.” —Genesis 19:26

The angels told Lot and his family to flee from Sodom and Gomorrah and not look back (Gn 19:17). “But Lot’s wife looked back, and she was turned into a pillar of salt” (Gn 19:26). Jesus said: “Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever tries to preserve his life will lose it; whoever loses it will keep it” (Lk 17:32-33).By becoming Christians, we have left behind the polluted world (see 2 Pt 2:20) of Sodom and Gomorrah. We have “put on the Lord Jesus Christ” and made “no provision for the desires of the flesh” (Rm 13:14). We are tempted to go back to our old life and be “caught up and overcome in pollution once more” (2 Pt 2:20). However, we should not go back or even look back to those things we left behind when we became disciples of Jesus. “Whoever puts his hand to the plow but keeps looking back is unfit for the reign of God” (Lk 9:62). We must “give no thought to what lies behind but push on to what is ahead” (Phil 3:13). “Remember Lot’s wife” (Lk 17:32) “and the tomb of a disbelieving soul, a standing pillar of salt” (Wis 10:7).

Prayer:  Father, I rejoice to give all for love of You.

Promise:  “ ‘What sort of Man is this,’ they said, ‘that even the winds and the sea obey Him?’ ” —Mt 8:27

Praise:  Although storms destroyed their home, the Jeffersons responded by giving heartfelt thanks to God that their whole family survived.

Reference:  (For related teachings on obedience, view, download or order our leaflet Obedience School, or listen to, download or order Obeying God on CD 62-3 or DVD 62 on our website.)

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The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.