𝐋𝐨𝐭’𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤

For years, we’ve remembered Lot’s wife for one moment.

𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤.

And because she looked back, we often conclude that her heart longed for the world she was leaving behind.

Maybe that’s true.

𝐉𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐇𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞.

Before we become too certain about her heart, perhaps we should remember something.

𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐮𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐝.
𝐈𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭.

What if, in that final moment, she wasn’t looking back at the wealth of Sodom?

What if she was looking toward the place where she had built a life?

The streets she had walked.
The memories she had made.
The people she loved.

What if she was a grieving mother wondering about those she could no longer reach?

𝐖𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰.

And because we do not know, we should be careful not to claim more than Scripture does.

𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐆𝐨𝐝.
That much is clear.

But only God knows whether her last glance was one of rebellion, longing, sorrow, or a mixture of all three.

𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐣𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞’𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭.

This is why we need grace.

Not to rewrite the Bible, but to remind ourselves that only God sees every motive hidden within the human heart.

𝐋𝐨𝐭’𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐮𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝.

𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐧 𝐣𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐞.

While people remember what our eyes looked at…

𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠.