A new year has dawned. And while we tend to face a new year with energy and enthusiasm, excited by all the possibilities it will bring, perhaps we ought to pause for just a few moments to consider the reality that is set before us. Octavius Winslow would have you consider that this world and all that is in it is but a shadow. And if we simply acknowledge this, we are prepared to live this year well—to live it for the glory of God. Consider what he says:

All is shadow here below! The world is a shadow; and it passes away!
The creature is a shadow; and the loveliest and the fondest may be the first to die!
Health is a shadow; fading, and in a moment gone!
Wealth is a shadow; today upon the summit of affluence, tomorrow at its base, plunged into poverty and dependence!
Human friendships and creature affections are but shadows; sweet and pleasant while they last, but, with a worm feeding at the root of all created good, the sheltering gourd soon withers, exposing us to the sun’s burning heat by day, and to the frost’s cold chill by night!
Oh, yes! “Passing Away” is indelibly inscribed upon everything here below! Yet how slow are we to realize the solemn lesson: “What shadows we are, and what shadows we pursue!”
Unconverted reader, what is your life but a vapor that passes away? And what are its pursuits but shadows; unreal, unsatisfying, evanescent? Your rank, your wealth, your honors, your pleasures, are but phantoms which appear but for a little while, and then are lost in the deeper shadow of the grave, and the still deeper and longer shadow of eternity!
Oh, turn from these dreams and hallucinations, and, as a rational, accountable, immortal being, on your way to judgment, fix your mind upon your solemn, endless future! You are going to die! And, oh, when that dread hour comes, so real and appalling, how will your past life appear?

May the Lord be with you and bless you today.

Those who hunt for Kindle deals will find another small collection today.
(Yesterday on the blog: How Joni Eareckson Tada Blessed Me (Forty Years Ago))
The Joy of Knowledge
Have you ever noticed that greater knowledge is often the key that unlocks greater enjoyment? This article explains it well.
‘No’ to Trans, ‘Yes’ to Gay Marriage: Will This Be the New Normal?
Glen Scrivener: “More and more, public aspects of British society are expressing a skeptical no to key aspects of the trans movement. And yet, however much people might feel it to be a return to ‘common sense,’ this isn’t a return to a Christian vision. Not yet.”
Random Thoughts About Unity In The Church
Kyle offers some helpful thoughts here about unity in the church. “As a churchman, it breaks my heart to see brothers separated and divided over issues in many of our congregations, presbyteries, and denominations. I have friends from all over the Reformed World and many of us are dealing with issues. I want to give some general thoughts about our present needs.”
Ten Questions to Ask Yourself Before Confronting a Brother or Sister in Christ
Somewhat related, here are ten questions to ask yourself before you confront another person about their sin.
“Did Jesus and the apostles preach the right doctrine from the wrong Old Testament texts?” (Video)
You’ve probably heard before that Jesus and the Apostles preached sound doctrine but did so from texts they misused. G.K. Beale responds to that idea in this short video.
You Are Not Invisible to God
Sylvia Schroeder writes poignantly here. “My daughter, in her power chair changes how I look at others. People once invisible to me, catch my eye now. I can see them with my heart.” She describes an example of that very thing.
Flashback: Positive Purity
Sexual purity is not ultimately about what to avoid, but what to pursue and what to enjoy. It’s about putting those old and ugly behaviors to death in order to free yourself to pursue the better ones. God wants to free you from sin so you can enjoy his gifts.

If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him. —C.T. Studd

May you know the Lord’s richest blessings as you send off one year and welcome in another.

For those who, like me, plan to read the Bible in 2023 using the 5-Day Reading Plan, it’s now available for free download.
There are a few new Kindle deals to look at today.
An Anchor for Our Tongues
This is a very interesting look at how we define words and why that sometimes doesn’t get us a whole lot closer to meaning. “Unfortunately, any given language is an imperfect witness to eternal truth. A language is limited in its perspective on reality. It ‘thinks’ in a certain way, and this affects how it describes things. This gives each language a unique perspective and voice, but that uniqueness also implies it’s missing a bunch of things that other languages notice.”
Deepening Your Friendship in Marriage
I appreciate this look at friendship in marriage from TGC India. “We had an arranged marriage, and we were in our twenties. We did not have the benefit of developing an understanding of who we were or what to expect. By God’s grace, it only took us three years to figure out what we were missing in the relationship. We were missing a friendship. No one told us the importance of friendship in marriage. So, we had to start over.”
Psalm 25 and the New Year
“The old British divine Matthew Henry refers to the practice of praying God’s Word back to God as ‘wrestling with God in his own strength.’ For this reason, I love to peruse the Bible for prayers to make my own. And one of my favorite passages to pray is Psalm 25.”
10 Tips for Faithful Student Ministry in the New Year
This list will be helpful for people who are involved in student ministry.
Start the Year Small: Wisdom for Setting New Goals
This article at DG offers “a well-marked yet seldom-traveled pathway to setting wise goals.”
5 Tips to Reinforce Your Bible Study and Prayer Routine
“No church leader wants to admit it, but for many of us it’s true: we still don’t have a sustainable habit for personal Bible study and prayer. Here are five ways forward—true for anyone, church leader or not.”

All our bad does not make us harder to save, and all our good does not make us easier to save. What saves us is Christ, and therefore all we contribute is honesty—admitting we are sinners and casting ourselves on him. —Dane Ortlund