Another year has come to a close, and another is upon us. Time like an ever-rolling stream bears all its sons away. The passing of a year is always a time of reflection. Through it we are deeply impressed with the eternality of our heavenly Father, who changes not and with whom one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day. He remains ever the same in his glorious perfection and in his gracious purpose for the salvation of his elect church. We are also made profoundly aware of our own quick passing from the scene of the earth and of the nearness of the end of the earth and the entire universe itself. Who are we and who are our children that God should have had such mercy on us?

This reflection for me extends also to Sword and Shield. The Lord has been good to us and has prospered the labors of the magazine. Our prayer for the new year is that through the writings of the magazine the readers are encouraged and edified in order to continue in the battle of faith and in their pilgrims’ journeys here below. Our prayer is likewise that the Lord uses the magazine as a mighty weapon against the lie to defeat it and overthrow it. May he drive his enemies before him and make them to be found liars against his people.

Another issue, then, has found its way into your hands. In the issue you will find excellent submissions for Running Footmen by Todd Ferguson and for our new Insights rubric from Jeremy Langerak.

In light of these submissions, I point out that the contributions that come in from the office of all believer are edifying and put a kind of exclamation point on the emphasis of the Sword and Shield and of the Reformed Believer’s Publishing organization that we are a believers’ organization. We are not an arm of any church institute, but we exist by right of Christ’s anointing of his people, so that they know the truth, love the truth, and confess the truth, especially in the face of those who would censure it.

For the rest the issue contains the usual cast of characters. May the Lord bless the content of the issue to your hearts.