"Jesus’ warning about the end of the world wasn’t about the devil. It was Lot’s wife.

Usually, we think leaving somewhere is easy. You pack your bags, shut the door, and that’s it. You’re gone. But there’s a gap that happens when your body moves faster than your mind. You can be physically standing in a safe place while your heart is still stuck in the place you just left.

You see it when someone quits an addiction but keeps their old dealer's number. Or when someone starts a new relationship but spends the whole time complaining about their ex. They’ve moved, but they haven't actually left.

The danger isn't just the act of looking back; it’s the hesitation. You can be standing right outside a disaster and still get caught in it if you're not fully committed to getting away.

Genesis 19 doesn't give this woman a name. It doesn't tell us what she was thinking or feeling. It just identifies her as Lot's wife who looked back from behind Lot and became a pillar of salt. That's it! No special effects, drama or big speech, just a pillar of salt.

Earlier in that story, God was incredibly patient. The family was dragging their feet in a city about to be destroyed, so the angels literally grabbed them by the hands and pulled them out. The instruction was point-blank: "Do not look back".

She didn't get out because she was fast or holy. God’s messengers literally dragged her out. She was on the right path. She was officially "saved."

But she was trailing behind. Her body was heading toward the mountains, but her focus was still on the city. The word used for "looked back - nabat" in the Hebrew isn't about a "quick glance" over the shoulder. It’s about a deep, focused stare. She turned and looked intensely, like she was surveying the situation. We don't know if she missed her house, her friends, or her stuff. We just know where she was looking when the city fell.

Jesus brings this up in Luke 17 verse 31-32.  He’s talking about people trying to "preserve" their lives. He warns that when things get serious, you shouldn't go back into your house to grab your belongings. Then he drops three words: "Remember Lot’s wife." He doesn't give a long lecture on her sins; He just points out that she hesitated.

Jesus uses her as a case study on "urgency." He treated that moment seriously enough to repeat her name as a warning. The issue wasn’t sentiment, but the hesitation. A divided attention in a decisive hour.

You are trying to save a relationship, a habit, or a memory that God has already judged. You are standing in the middle, entertaining the "just one more time" thought.

God did everything for her. He gave the warning, provided the escape route, and even physically pulled her to safety. But He won't force someone's heart to change direction. She survived the fire, but she ended up part of the ruins anyway because she couldn't let go of what was behind her. 

She ended up stuck on that road; somewhere between being saved and being lost; neither hot nor cold; just lukewarm.

Jesus didn’t tell us to remember the fire or the sins of Sodom. He told us to remember the woman who was halfway to safety and decided she wasn't ready to go. Salvation was in front of her, and Judgement was behind her, but she suddenly lost that "urgency" to keep going. 

What is the one thing you have physically left behind, but are still mentally turning to face?"

Ellis Enobun