With the coming of the dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished….” As soon as they (the angels of the Lord) had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop….”
(Gen. 19:15,17 NIV)
Keep Failures Behind You
These scriptures refer to the deliverance of Lot and his family just before God destroyed the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. The angel told Lot’s family, “…Don’t look back, and don’t stop…” (v. 17).
There’s a spiritual principle in these scriptures we can each learn from. It’s the principle of not looking back to the failures of the past, but looking ahead to the brightness of the future, as we pursue our God-given dreams.
As I read these scriptures, I am reminded of Moses and the children of Israel at the Red Sea. God had just delivered them from the bondage of Egypt. But when the Israelites got as far as the Red Sea, they realized Pharaoh and his army were in swift pursuit, trying to take them captive again (Ex. 13:18-22; 14:1-9).
The Israelites found themselves at a crossroad! They could obey God and continue journeying to their promised land. Or they could disobey God, be recaptured by Pharaoh’s Egyptian army, and be subjected once again to the bondage of the past.
The children of Israel couldn’t afford to look back – or even to linger – or they would forfeit the promised blessing. If the Israelites were to obtain victory, they couldn’t afford to look in any direction but straight ahead to what God had promised them!
When the circumstances of life encompass you, set your face like flint on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith (Heb. 12:2). He will guide you safely to victory!
If failure and defeat try to dog your tracks, and if bondages of the past try to haunt you, just keep looking to Jesus and to the joy God has set before you in His Word. With God, the future can be bright with promise and hope!
The Bible says, “…lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet…” (Heb. 12:12-13).
In other words, keep marching straight ahead to victory! Keep your feet firmly planted on the pathway to victory and your eyes riveted on the promised blessing. You can obtain your dreams in God if you won’t look back and you won’t quit!
Excerpt permission granted by Faith Library Publications
Kenneth W. Hagin, President of Kenneth Hagin Ministries and pastor of RHEMA Bible Church, ministers around the world. Known for calling the Body of Christ to steadfast faith, he seizes every ministry opportunity to impart an attitude of “I cannot be defeated, and I will not quit.”
Rev. Hagin began preparing for his call to ministry—a ministry that now spans 50 years—at Southwestern Assemblies of God University. He graduated from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and holds an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Faith Theological Seminary in Tampa, Florida.
In his early years of ministry, Rev. Hagin was an associate pastor and traveling evangelist. Later, he went on to organize and develop RHEMA Bible Training Centers in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and in other countries around the world.
Kenneth W. Hagin’s array of responsibilities also includes International Director of RHEMA Ministerial Association International. He hosts the annual A Call to Arms® Men’s Conference, and with his wife, Lynette, cohosts RHEMA Praise, a weekly television program, and Rhema for Today, a weekday radio program broadcast throughout the United States. They also conduct Living Faith Crusades, spreading the message of faith and healing around the world.
Recognizing the lateness of the hour before the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, Rev. Hagin has expanded his speaking schedule beyond his regular pastoral duties. To fulfill the urgent call of God to prepare the Church for a deeper experience of His Presence, Rev. Hagin delivers messages that reveal key spiritual truths about faith, healing, and other vital subjects. He ministers with a strong healing anointing, and his ministry leads the Body of Christ into a greater experience of the glory of God!
Kenneth W. Hagin and his wife live in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is the son of the late Kenneth E. Hagin.