Preserving Through Righteousness
Genesis 19:23–29 (NASB95)
23The sun had risen over the earth when Lot came to Zoar. 24Then the Lord rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven, 25and He overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. 26But his wife, from behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. 27Now Abraham arose early in the morning and went to the place where he had stood before the Lord; 28and he looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the valley, and he saw, and behold, the smoke of the land ascended like the smoke of a furnace. 29Thus it came about, when God destroyed the cities of the valley, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot lived.
As the sun rose, Lot reached Zoar. Then God sent sulfur and fire down on Sodom and Gomorrah. The cities fell in a moment. Their wickedness had reached its limit. God’s judgment was complete and final. Lot escaped, but not because of his own faith or actions. The text says God remembered Abraham. God saved Lot for Abraham’s sake. Abraham’s prayers and faithfulness made the difference. One righteous person standing before God can preserve others from destruction.
Lot’s wife looked back. She could not let go of her old life. She became a pillar of salt. Her story warns us about divided loyalty. When God calls us out, we must not look back. We must not cling to what He tells us to leave behind.
Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth.” Salt preserves. Salt protects from decay. Abraham’s faith and obedience preserved Lot. In the same way, when we obey God, stand in truth, and trust Him, we preserve our families, churches, and communities. Our presence and prayers matter. God uses the faithfulness of His people to hold back judgment and bring hope.
The choice is clear. Be like Abraham. Stand in truth. Pray boldly. Trust God’s promises. Refuse to compromise with the world. Do not hesitate or look back like Lot and his wife. The world needs people who will stand firm and preserve what is good.
For the church today, this is our call. Our schools, our neighborhoods, our nation need the preserving influence of believers who trust God and obey Him fully. When we live like Abraham, we become salt in a world that desperately needs it.