When my eldest daughter popped into this world, everything was different. Marriage was different. Work was different. Sleep was WAY different. Life was different.

Different can be hard and not just for parents of newborns. It’s hard when Dad takes a new job and you move to a new school. It’s hard when you divorce and start dating again in your 40s. It’s hard when your company is transitioning to a new team with a new vision and a new market. And different is tough for our routine-loving hearts.

I wonder how Joshua felt. The book named after him begins, “After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua . . .” (1:1). After over 40 years of being Joshua’s mentor, Moses was dead. After spending decades in the wilderness following Moses, God’s people were about to follow Joshua into the Promised Land.

So what did Joshua do? He looked back. He looked back at God’s saving love during the exodus. He looked back at God’s promises kept in the wilderness. Joshua couldn’t look ahead to the future, but he could look back to the past.

Maybe that’s what you need to do too. Look back and fix your eyes on Jesus. See his love and power at the cross. Hear his triumphant cry that your sin is finished. Let his departing words echo in your ears: “Surely I will be with you always” (Matthew 28:20). Because when life is different, our hearts need the One who is the same—yesterday, today, and forever. Once you look back, you’ll be ready to look forward to the different days you are facing.