Luke 17.31-33

New International Version:
"31On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. 32Remember Lot's wife! 33Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it."

Amplified Bible:
"31On that day let him who is on the housetop, with his belongings in the house, not come down [and go inside] to carry them away; and likewise let him who is in the field not turn back.
32Remember Lot's wife!
33Whoever tries to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve and quicken it."

New Living Translation:
"31 On that day a person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. A person out in the field must not return home. 32 Remember what happened to Lot’s wife! 33 If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it. "

The Message:
" 31-33"When the Day arrives and you're out working in the yard, don't run into the house to get anything. And if you're out in the field, don't go back and get your coat. Remember what happened to Lot's wife! If you grasp and cling to life on your terms, you'll lose it, but if you let that life go, you'll get life on God's terms."

The Message is my favorite version of this passage. The Message is usually always my favorite. The translations always seem to hit home a little better than normal.

Anyhow, this is interesting. As most may know, but some don't, I'm going to dive into the story of Lot's wife for a moment. Lot was the nephew of Abraham, but Abraham took him in as a son. Lot never fully felt like a son, even though Abraham gave him anything and everything he'd ever asked for. Abraham eventually had to let Lot go. He had to release him from his authority, from his care, his blessing, his supervision, because Lot, no matter how much Abraham had wanted to take him in as a spiritual son, he just didn't get it! Well the land that Lot had taken from Abraham (he'd offered whatever land he wanted he could have) Lot chose the best of the best land (poverty mentality by the way, instead of picking the best land of POTENTIAL he picked what was already at it's best) Anyhow, all that to say, the land he'd chosen ended up being near Sodom (a land known for it's evil people and flagrant sinners against God). Lot eventually got sucked into it, started a family there, had a wife, so on so forth.

Well the time came when God was so fed up with Sodom that he was going to destroy it but Abraham pleaded with God, "Please, let me save my nephew Lot and his family." God finally agreed and sent angels to Lot and his family to tell them that the city was going to be burnt to a crisp so they fled but the rule was "Don't turn to look back, not even once..." Well... as they were leaving, Lot's wife turned around to look back at what she was leaving behind and she INSTANTLY turned to dust. She was destroyed...

So once again:
"Remember what happened to Lot's wife! If you grasp and cling to life on your terms, you'll lose it, but if you let that life go, you'll get life on God's terms."

HERE'S the interesting part:
On the encounter, I got a word from Susan Burgoin. She'd said she really felt like God was telling her to tell me that anything I had physically from my past (ie: clothes, cds, books, anything) to "burn them", get rid of them, and more freedom will come to me.

Yesterday, when I was hanging out with Freedom, she told me the story of Lot and then said she'd received a word for me last Sunday (which is the same day that Susan had given me my word) that I needed to remember Lot's wife and don't look back. Do not look back at my past. Anything that I had that was any sort of attachment or memory from my past I needed to "burn it" get rid of it, give it away, whatever. Just don't keep it around anymore.

I saw that as a total sign from God. If he thought it important enough to tell me twice, through two different people, then it's something I MUST do. It's not an option. It's not a request. It's something that God has made it very clear to me that I need to do in order to receive a deeper level of freedom.

Lord,
I ask that you reveal anything and everything that I may have that could potentially be a memory or spiritual attachment to anyone or anything from my past. I know most of my stuff is in storage, but don't let that discourage me. Let me take control of the things that I DO have right here with me and get rid of them. I thank you that YOUR best interest in mind for me is to be free completely. Holy Spirit be with me today. Don't leave my side. I ask for the endurance to do what YOU have told me to do and I do not accept Laziness or Apathy, in the name of Jesus. I love you I love you I love you. Today is the day of OVERCOMING!

amen.