Vol. 2, Issue 11
Hand to the Plow
Noonday Notes
Volume 2, Issue 11
August 21st, 2026
When you plow a field you create what’s called a furrow. It's your guiding line and you follow it. Similar to mowing a lawn, looking backwards is not advised. Trust me, neighbors will notice your lawn and farmers will notice your field. Same with old ways of living. Lust, selfishness, addiction, procrastination, and pride; leave them behind. Forward progress requires forward attention.
There’s a difference between looking back to learn and looking back to long. In typical agricultural lingo Jesus said as much. “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:62) A few chapters later, still using farm imagery, we are told to “not let the one who is in the field turn back”. Followed by a short poignant command: “Remember Lot’s wife.” (Luke 17:32). She’s the one who “looked back and became a pillar of salt.” (Gen. 19:26). Poof. Just like that, nothing but salt was left. Salt preserves, but in excess, it becomes destructive. The Dead Sea reveals that paradox.
The danger isn’t in remembering our Sodom and Gomorrah, it’s not letting them go. The Israelites experienced this in the wilderness. They remembered the fish, but forgot the chains, they groaned for the familiar but blocked out the bondage. Uncertainty of what lies ahead can make the familiar seem appealing and less dangerous. I know this all too well.
The temptation to return to old ways of thinking, behaving, distracting, or coping can show up in any season in life. What we turn towards shapes us. We can’t move forward if we keep looking back. Your field won’t be the only thing that’s a hot mess.
On the farm I look back at my crop plan to ask what crops thrived and failed? What should I do differently this time? Looking back for wisdom is essential. Looking back with an allegiance is something else entirely.
Continue moving forward even when the path feels uncertain. Eyes on the furrow even when the wilderness feels like it will never end. Believe in the Promised Land even when that future feels less familiar than the past.
The kingdom ahead is more compelling than anything we left behind. As the great Tom Petty wrote, “The good ole days may not return. The rocks might melt and the sea may burn”.
So, hand to the plow. Don’t look back. The field in front of you is where God is at work. When tempted by your old ways, ask yourself, am I looking back to learn or am I looking back to long? Be fit for the Kingdom, not a pillar of salt.