Luke 9:17 says, “…No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Lot’s wife looked back. We cannot face forward, and at the same time look back. It is either one or the other.

I want to pick up one other detail. Lot was instructed to flee to the mountains. He asked instead to do what he wanted to. Genesis 19:20 says, “See now, this city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one; please let me escape there (is it not a little one?)…”

Have you ever compromised? The little city was too close. Lot’s wife looked back. Had they gone to the mountains as instructed, history might have been different. If you know the story, incest took place and two nations were born: Moab and Ammon.

What in your past negatively occupies your mind? 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “…old things have passed away…” We cannot change one thing from our past. We fall prey to the enemy of our soul when we keep looking back.

Genesis 18:10 says, “And He said, I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son…” Sarah heard Him and laughed. If you are facing a seemingly impossible time, take these words into your heart.

Verse 14 says, “Is there anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will…” Genesis 21:1 says, “And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken.”

What promise are you waiting for? What is unfulfilled in your life? We need to take heed to what happened to Lot’s wife. In Genesis 19 we read about God’s plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. He rescued Lot and his wife and two daughters first.

Verse 17 says, “…Escape for your life! Do not look behind you…lest you be destroyed.” Verse 26 says, “But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.” Destroyed. We look back every time we take our mind back into our past that cannot be changed.

Sarai schemed and convinced Abram to take her maid to obtain children. She didn’t wait for God to fulfill His promise to them. When Hagar conceived, Sarai became despised in her eyes. So Sarai dealt harshly with her and sent her away.

The Angel of the Lord met her, and told her to go back to Sarai. He explained she would have a son, and to call him Ishmael. Note what God said. Genesis 16:12 says, “He shall be a wild man; his hand shall be against every man, and every man’s hand against him…” Hmm.

Verse 13 says, “Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-The-God-Who-Sees; for she said, Have I also here seen Him who sees me?” Does that comfort you? I love Psalm 139. David’s words remind us that we are never out of the Lord’s sight, from conception to our last breath on this earth.

Abram was 86 when Ishmael was born. God made a covenant that He would establish with Isaac. Genesis 17:21 says, “…whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.”

As we walk in the Spirit we subdue our flesh. Romans 6:16 says that when we present ourselves as submissive slaves to obey, we will walk in His righteousness. Verse 18 says, “And having been set free from sin, you become slaves of righteousness.” 

Verse 19 says, “…slaves of righteousness for holiness.” Verse 22 says, “But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.”

Paul often began his letters as being the bondservant of Jesus. Romans 1:1 says, “Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God.” We are called to a holy calling. 2 Timothy 1:9. 

2 Timothy 2:21 says that we are vessels of gold and silver, “…a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.”

Walking in the Spirit is a command to obey. He will then lead us throughout our journey of progressive sanctification. The trials we go through are masterfully designed to conform us to Christ’s image.

As we walk in the Spirit, we reflect the character of Jesus. In Galatians 5:22-23 Paul described what that would look like. We can hold these verses up as mirror. It says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffereing, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control…”

What evidence do others see of this fruit in your life? Paul described love in 1 Corinthians 13. I will paraphrase. It suffers long and is kind, does not envy; is not prideful, not rude, not self-seeking, not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in others’ sins, rejoices in truth; bears, believes, hopes and endures all things. It never fails. 

1 John 4:9 says that God is love. His entire being is love. His thoughts and actions all come from His love. We cannot love like Him on our own. Romans 5:8 says that His love was poured into our hearts at salvation. Therefore His love dwells in us, and the Holy Spirit will lead us to live out that love as we follow Him. Joy and peace are irrevocable gifts at salvation.

Gifts are given ~ they  are not earned. Romans 4 was written about Abraham. Verse 3 says, “…Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Verse 16 says, “Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace…”

Romans 5:21 says, “So that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Does grace reign in your life? That answer is according to how much you walk in humility or pride.

James 5:6 says that God resists the proud. Pride is the fruit of our flesh. It is a lusting for things that block the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Galatians 5:17 says, “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another…” Contrary. Picture two magnets opposing one another. There is a field of energy that keeps them apart.

God’s grace empowers us to do what He has called us to do and be. Humility acknowledges that apart from Him we can do nothing.

Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.” The grace that saved us is the grace that empowers us to live continually in His abundance.

John 10:10 says, “…I have come that they may have life, and that they have it more abundantly.” The Greek word for abundantly means: superabundance, excessive, overflowing, surplus, over and above, more than enough, profuse, extraordinary, above the ordinary, more than sufficient. Does abundantly describe your life?

Ephesians 3:20 again says that God is able. That needs to always be our focus in every situation we face. The verse says, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.”

Paul described that power. Ephesians 1:19 says, “And what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.” Verse 20 described it as the same power that God used to raise Jesus from the dead. Wow!

God gives grace to the humble. James 5:6. Verse 10 says, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” Matthew 18:4 says, “Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

The Greek word for humbles literally means to make low. It describes a person who is devoid of all arrogance and self-exaltation—a person who is willingly submitted to God and His will.

2 Corinthians 9:8 is in the context of finances. We can apply it as a life-skill of humility. It says, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”

Three empowering words: God is able. We have a tendency to do things in our own strength. John 15:5 is a great verse to embed in our heart’s wall. It says, “…for without Me you can do nothing.” Nothing means not one thing. His grace empowers us to live in His abundance as we humble ourselves.

Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” We all need wisdom for every aspect of our lives. Psalm 34:13-14 is our pathway’s barometer. 

It says, “Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” We depart from evil first through our thoughts. Proverbs 23:7 says, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he…” 

Our thoughts come from our heart, which is our belief center. Matthew 15:18 says that the things that come out of our mouth come from our heart. Verse 19 says, “For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts…”

God’s hidden pure word purifies our hearts. Psalm 119:11. I encourage you to take the areas in your life that lack Christ-like character. Work God’s word in. Implant. Embed. Memorize. Meditate.

God’s hidden word works like a scalpel, piercing into and discerning our thoughts and intentions. It brings course correction so that we live in accordance with His gift of abundance.

I love Jeremiah 31:14. It says, “I will satiate the soul of the priests with abundance, and My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the Lord.” Our soul is our mind, will, and emotions. Does your soul. live in abundance?

What we think about affects every aspect of our lives. Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in You.” Psalm 34:8 says, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!”

The fruit of the fear of the Lord is abundance. Verse 9 says, “Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.” Verses 13-14 outlines for us what it means to fear the Lord.

Verse 12 is a good question to ask yourself. “Do I desire life?” I have a teen mentee that doesn’t want to live. She has no desire for life. What do you lack? Verse 10 says, “…those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.”