It’s the time of year when we tend to look ahead and wonder what’s coming in the new year. It’s the time of year when we tend to look back and see what has happened in the past year. Both of these views are important, the latter necessary to make good on the former.

I should like to suggest some things we should look for in the coming year.

Joshua had taken the Israelites as far as he could go. He confessed that he was “old, advanced in years” (Josh. 23:2) and “going the way of all the earth” (23:14). He had served his time and purpose, leading God’s people across the Jordan into the land sworn to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Joshua knew his end was near.

Sunday is special. It’s the day of His resurrection. It’s the day of devotion to God, a day for spiritual service and rejoicing. It’s the day God ordained for worship and service. It’s the day when we keep the memorial of Jesus’ death, the Lord’s Supper. It’s a day for singing and praying and being together. It’s a day for spiritual feasting.

Sometimes I think we take the Lord’s Day for granted. We become so familiar with it that we fail to give it the thought and emphasis it deserves. If we’re not careful, it can become plain, ordinary.

We had a cat. We weren’t looking for one and we certainly didn’t need one, but he sort of found us. The kids instantly fell in love with him. By the time Melissa and I figured there was no harm in letting them play with a stray cat, this new visitor had a food dish, toys, and a bed in the garage. Now, we had a pet.

The title could be a simple declarative statement or an announcement. If you rearrange the order, you could have a question. Is God’s Word enough? God’s Word is enough for those who have reverence for God. The person who lacks faith and questions God’s Word is not satisfied with the truth that He speaks.

“Motive” is from the Latin movere, to move. It is akin etymologically to both motion and motor. It means, “that which moves or tends a person to a particular course of action” (OED). A motor is an apparatus which supplies motion; that is, it moves something. And so it is with love. It is a mover, but with a higher intention, a moral purpose. Love is the greatest of all movers, the highest of all motives. It motor-vates the highest and most noble of aspirations.

We can misuse love, make it move things that are foolish, even sinful.

This school year, Lisa and I decided to homeschool our children. There are several reasons why we wanted to do so, but one was we wanted to be more involved in their education than would typically be possible if they were in public school. As a general rule, parents are concerned with their child’s education. They make sure they are progressing as they should. They make sure homework is done and correct. They help their children with reports and projects. They will hire tutors if the child is struggling in a certain subject.

I am ashamed to admit that I didn’t fully appreciate our Bible class program until my own children came along. Now, I see firsthand their anticipation for going to class and their excitement over having been there. They can’t wait to come out and tell me what they learned and show me what they did. And I can’t wait to see and hear all about it.

Where is your heart? The answer to an anatomy test question would be in the chest, between the lungs, behind the sternum, above the diaphragm, surrounded by the pericardium. You and I both know that when the Bible speaks of a person’s heart it is rarely in the context of the anatomical location of this physical human pump. Mostly it is spoken of with “regards as the center of a person’s thoughts and emotions, esp. love or compassion.”

I have always enjoyed Jim Henson’s Muppets. I was especially fond of Kermit the Frog. His refrain was “it’s not easy being green.” He’s right, you know. It’s not easy to be different, to be distinctive, to be other than what the crowd expects. You can expect criticism, even ridicule, if you take a course that is not like those around you.