Onward: God’s Grace in Goodbyes
If you put together a list of all the television series I’ve watched in their entirety from the first episode to the end, I’d have to add an asterisk to most of them. While I may have watched every season of several shows—some even more than once—I’ve missed quite a few finales.
Although it’s true that I appreciate the way a novel ties storylines together or the way a movie wraps up all the plot points at the end, I’ve never liked the thought of saying goodbye to television characters that I feel like I’ve known for a long time. So at the risk of sounding a little crazy, here’s my confession: I tend to skip the last episode of television shows.
Last Monday, the hosts of Grounded, the weekly videocast from Revive Our Hearts,held their own finale of sorts. During the episode, the hosts—Erin Davis, Dannah Gresh, and Portia Collins—let viewers know the videocast will be pausing for an undetermined amount of time.
You won’t be surprised that since I knew this was coming, I couldn’t watch it live.
During the episode, Erin Davis, a familiar face for Grounded viewers, a beloved voice here on the blog, and my former boss here at Revive Our Hearts, shared publicly what she had already told our team privately: she’d be leaving her full-time position with ROH to fill another with Moody Publishers, a good friend of our ministry. I read the script in advance, making a note of what Erin mentioned she’s learned from the Word—“that God calls us to things in seasons, and part of obedience is trusting Him when there is change.”
Over the last few months, my life has been filled with what I’ve thought of as good goodbyes. Friends, family, and gospel partners (like Erin) have left their posts for positive reasons, whether they’ve gotten married, moved to different cities, or changed ministry roles. But transitions, no matter the reason, can be difficult. Each one has made me wonder: How do you trust the Lord when change is difficult? How do you take the next step in obedience when others transition— and you are the one who is left behind?
Loss and Leadership
Few transitions in the Bible feel as emotionally weighty to me as the one that happens during the page turn between Deuteronomy 34 and Joshua 1. When the new book begins, can’t you picture Joshua standing alone near the Jordan River?
The nation had lost a monumental leader. Moses left behind shoes that his appointed successor would not be able to fill. Deuteronomy 34:10 doesn’t try to hide this fact. “No prophet has arisen again in Israel like Moses,” it says. Much of the book of Joshua centers around whether this new leader would rise to the challenges of the role in front of him.
Leadership pressures aside, it’s painful to think of what Joshua faced in the loss, not only of a mentor, but someone he surely considered to be a friend. He had been by Moses’ side for years, serving as his assistant since his youth (Ex. 24:13; Num.11:28).
Those details are included in the introduction to the book of Joshua. The book of Joshua begins, “After the death of Moses the LORD’s servant” (1:1). Joshua was still referred to as “Moses’ assistant.” He wouldn’t receive the honored title of “the LORD’s servant” until the end of his life, after he had fulfilled what God had given him to do (Josh. 24:29).
There’s a clear difference in those two roles. The relationship an “aide” or “assistant” has with the one he serves is not the same as the one between a servant and his master. An aide would have special access to the leader he was assisting. A servant would be characterized by a significant power imbalance. Throughout Joshua’s life, he would learn in new ways what it meant to truly humble himself in faithful service to the Lord, who “was infinitely greater than even the towering figure of Moses.”1
When, at the end of his life, Joshua was referred to as “a servant of the Lord,” this was the greatest tribute he could ever receive. He began learning the ranks of servitude in a deeper way as he dealt with the loss of Israel’s renowned leader.
You’re likely not facing a transition of quite the same magnitude as Joshua’s, but if you are in a season marked by goodbyes or change, you also have an opportunity to aspire to the role of servant (Mark 9:35). Consider this season a set of circumstances that God has personally designed for you to redirect your focus to Him—the one who will faithfully lead you forward and the one who calls you onward.
Three Ways to Redirect Your Focus in the Midst of Change
1. Look up.
The book of Deuteronomy ends with the Israelites mourning the loss of Moses. You may not be grieving the death of someone in your life, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have losses to mourn. It’s okay to take time to grieve the loss of proximity to a friend or mentor, the dreams or ambitions you had hoped would be fulfilled with them at your side, or even the sense of belonging you found within the relationship. As you mourn what you no longer have, take the pain you feel and give it to the Lord in prayer, allowing Him to prove that He is “the God of all comfort” (2 Cor. 3:1).
In Deuteronomy 34:8, it says, “Then the days of weeping and mourning for Moses came to an end” (Deut. 34:8). The end of grief marks an important step in accepting that God is sovereign over the changes He’s allowed in your life. Do you trust that His plans are good? Continue seeking Him. The temptation in transition is to look inward. It doesn’t take much for your thoughts to turn all your attention to how this affects you. You may wonder: How will I manage without them? Look at how my life has changed.
Don’t let emotions dictate what’s true. Look up. Choose to believe the truth: that God not only knows what is best for you and for those who are gone, but that He is more than able to provide all that’s needed in the gaps that remain.
2. Look back.
As you think about what has changed, allow the memories of what once was to spur your heart to praise. Joshua had spent years alongside Moses and had a front row seat to what God had done among His people. Joshua’s own name was a testimony to God’s power and past actions.
In Numbers 13:16, “Moses renamed Hoshea son of Nun, Joshua.” While this verse doesn’t describe the meaning of the name change, surely it’s significant. “Joshua is the first person in the Bible to be explicitly given a name that incorporates God’s holy, personal name, ‘Yahweh.’ . . . It went from a generic name meaning ‘deliverance’ to one containing a glorious affirmation of trust in God.”2
As Joshua looked back on his life, he would have countless stories to affirm God’s character and grow his confidence in Him. So do you. In the midst of changing times, take the opportunity to anchor your heart in the ways that you have already experienced God’s faithfulness. Write them down and then share them with someone else who could use the encouragement. These glimpses of God’s goodness in the past will give both of you courage to step forward into the unknown.
3. Look ahead.
The words of encouragement that the Lord gave to Joshua are some of the most familiar verses in the Old Testament. He didn’t know that thousands of years later, believers in need of comfort would read these verses and post them to the walls of their homes:
“Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
If anyone had reason to feel paralyzed in the midst of change, it was the person left behind in Moses’ wake. Joshua felt inadequate, weak, and afraid, and God had not minimized the role Joshua would have to fill. The Lord didn’t give Joshua a pep talk about his potential. Instead, the Lord promised that He would be faithful. In everything that was to come, in every gain and loss Joshua would face for the rest of his life, he could count on the power and presence of God. He had experienced it as he assisted Moses, and he would experience it more intimately as he learned to serve the Lord in an entirely different set of circumstances.
You too will get to experience the sufficiency of God’s presence as you seek Him in the midst of change. You may not know what your future will include, especially without those you once relied on to be there with you, but you can trust with all your heart that God isn’t going anywhere.
Onward until He Comes
The book of Joshua concludes with a finale of its own. At the end of his life and ministry, Joshua shared these words—and it’s hard to imagine he was able to get through them without tears:
“I am now going the way of the whole earth, and you know with all your heart and all your soul that none of the good promises the LORD your God made to you has failed. Everything was fulfilled for you; not one promise has failed.” (Joshua 23:14)
In chapter 1, Joshua had been told: “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go” (v. 9). Before he signed off, Joshua let his people know that God had fulfilled that promise. They would face change as new leaders filled his absence. His God would remain.
During the final moments of the Grounded episode, the hosts signed off with this reminder: “You can wake up with hope and perspective. And because of Jesus, no matter what changes come, you can stay grounded in Him.”
As we served with Erin Davis here at Revive Our Hearts, my team got to watch her live those words on a weekly basis. She often sent us forward to do our jobs with a specific phrase: “Onward . . . until He comes.” I think Joshua would have approved of that message; after all, even his name foreshadowed Jesus, who would come and prove the final fulfillment of the promise of God’s presence.
No matter the changes you’re facing today, friend, there’s work to be done and a Savior more than worthy of your service. Onward . . . until He comes.
Did you miss this special Grounded episode? Watch it along with past episodes on YouTube or stream the podcast.
1 David M. Howard Jr., “Joshua,” vol. 5, The New American Commentary (Nashville, Tenn: Broadman & Holman, 1998), 75.
2 David M. Howard Jr., “Joshua,” vol. 5, 73.
