Two years ago, everything about my life changed in a couple of weeks. My husband and I were leaving behind seminary, friends, and his pastoral position for a new city. Our fourth son was born and we put the for sale sign up in the yard. We arrived in our new home—that we’d never seen in person—in a city I’d never stepped foot in.
As the old adage goes, “change is inevitable.” I just hadn’t expected everything to change all at once.
Change invites both excitement and uncertainty. Some of us may look forward to the next new adventure, ready to explore the season with bright eyes and courageous hearts. Maybe you—like me—are more cautious. Skepticism lingers and “what-ifs” abound. You don’t know what’s around the next corner and honestly, you’re unsure you want to.
How do we approach seasons of transition with a biblical perspective? How can Scripture encourage those of us with weary hearts uncertain of the future?
Scripture invites us to remember: to look back on God’s faithfulness, to rest in God’s character, and to depend on the God who sustains us.
Remember God’s Faithfulness
When the end of Joshua’s life drew near, he gathered Israel together and spoke some of his last recorded words. He knew that his leadership would soon end. He knew Israel would enter a new season, and he wanted to set them up for success. What did this great leader consider most important for the Israelites to hear? Their own history of God’s faithfulness toward them.
God reminds them that he saved Abraham and blessed him. He saved the Israelites from Egypt’s oppression, carried them through the Red Sea, won their wars, and provided for all their needs (Josh. 24:1–13). Before they moved forward into their next season, the Israelites needed to remember that God was faithful—that they had proof they could trust him.
We can recite God’s faithfulness, too. We can read of all the times God maintained his covenant with his people, how all of his promises are “yes” in Christ, and how he always has been present with his church through his Spirit (1 Cor. 1:20). We can remember the times he has been faithful to us. Sometimes, we may need to cling to this by faith, allowing songs, friends’ prayers, and Scripture to remind us of his steadfast love when we’re too weak.
As we face change, we must remember that God’s past faithfulness is the foundation of his current and future faithfulness.
Remember God’s Goodness
Proverbs reminds us that God directs our steps and makes our paths straight (Prov. 16:9; Prov. 3:6). We declare that God is in control and his plans are best. We know that he is sovereign and reigns on his throne (Ps. 47:8).
But is he good? Can we trust him? These are the questions that run through our minds as we face transition and uncertain futures. Like the Israelites, we might wonder if God has brought us out of one season only to destroy us in the next (Ex. 14:11).
The beauty of God’s sovereignty is that it is paired with his goodness. From the beginning, all that God created declared his goodness (Gen. 1:31). The Psalms remind us to “give thanks to the Lord, for he is good” (Ps. 106:1). Jesus declares God’s goodness both in character and provision (Mark 10:18; Luke 11:13). And we see heaven bursting with God’s goodness in Revelation.
God’s goodness is not a peripheral attribute but rather an unchangeable part of the Almighty, testified throughout Scripture—there at the beginning and at the end. It’s who God is. We must remember that his goodness and sovereignty are friends, not enemies.
As God guides you into the next season, remember that he is good. Remember that you can trust him. His path for you is not just sure—it’s good.
Remember God’s Sustenance
When we moved from Philadelphia with a three-month-old, I was weary from sleepless nights and the logistics of moving a family of six to a new state. How would I honor God with this transition? How would I handle the new season with grace? I knew that God held me—but did he hold my future too?
When God spoke through Isaiah to the Israelites, he reminded them that he had carried them from the womb and would carry them all the way into old age (Is. 46:3–4). At no point in their lives had God abandoned them or let them out of his hand. His arms surrounded them—held them up and sustained them—through their entire lives. He assured them that his arms would never let them go.
This is true for you too. When God’s arms surround you, they never let you go. Nothing will take you from his grasp—not even an unknown future. He holds you up as you prepare for change, as you walk through transition, and when you’re in the new season. Everything around you may alter, but God stays the same. His grip on you never loosens.
What a mercy that we don’t face new seasons alone. What a mercy that we can rest in his arms instead of in our own ability to face change perfectly. What a mercy that God holds us up as the world we know falls out from beneath us.
Everything might change, but who God is—and who he is to us—remains the same. Rest in God’s character because he will not fail you. He is faithful. He is good. He will sustain you.
