For those whom God calls, He instructs us to look and move forward towards the Kingdom. We are called to be sojourners desiring a heavenly home, yet many of us become too accustomed and rooted in this earthly life, making it hard to leave it behind. Jesus, speaking of His second coming, warns of the urgency to flee and not turn back, specifically saying, Remember Lot's wife. Her story shows the danger of looking back, as she turned into a pillar of salt when she gazed longingly at Sodom and Gomorrah, possibly mourning family left behind or clinging to a familiar life of sin. This example parallels the Israelites, who, despite being led out of bondage, desired to return to Egypt, unable to let go of the past. Jesus teaches that those who want to follow Him must prioritize His way above all else, stating that anyone who puts their hand to the plow and looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God. Like a farmer plowing a field, we must focus ahead, for what is behind cannot be changed, and distractions can cause us to stumble. Similarly, in running a race, looking back leads us off track, hindering our fight against sin and the evils of this world. Our focus must be on overcoming and growing into the image of our Creator, casting off distractions that pull us backward. God was saving Lot and his family, giving clear instructions to move forward and escape the punishment of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot's wife, stuck between what she knew and the safety ahead, could not see what God was working out in their lives. Her example serves as a powerful reminder for us now and for those at the end times. God calls us out of sin, out of Babylon, urging us with urgency to leave the past behind and not share in the coming destruction. Heroes of faith, as mentioned in Hebrews, looked forward to heavenly things, embracing their status as strangers and pilgrims on earth, convinced of something better ahead. We must not let what is behind hold us back or stop us from moving forward. So much in this life can cause us to look left, right, or backwards, and that could be our downfall if we allow it. God, through the example of Lot's wife, shows us where our focus should be. We must move forward, listen to Him, have faith, follow His instructions, and press on to His Kingdom. Remember Lot's wife!

Richard Ritenbaugh, citing Mark Twain's aphorism, "The art of prophecy is difficult, especially with respect to the future," points out that there are too many variables for any human to predict accurately. We can be thankful that God's prognostications and prophecies are totally trustworthy, many of which have already come to pass. God is a forecaster extraordinaire. Prophecy is the ability to forecast an event in advance. Many predictions are quite probable with regard to general predictions, but the more qualifiers and variables we add, the less probability the prophecy will work out. Some futurists, like H. G. Wells, have been successful in their prognostications, although many turned out to be duds. We should gaze forward, anticipating what God will reveal to us, becoming "nostalgic about the future," and not wistfully looking back, lingering or dallying, as did Lot and his family. By looking back, Lot's wife was boldly repudiating the will of God. Once we have made the commitment to follow God, to recount the cost would be suicidal. God has to come first before anyone else from the time of commitment and beyond. Looking back leads to "plowing a crooked furrow." Paul assured us that pressing forward to knowing Christ makes every other goal rubbish. In putting all into the goal of following and knowing Christ, we are not alone; we have a big cloud of witnesses who have provided us an example to follow something we cannot immediately see, except through the lens of faith.