Podcast Summary: "Looking Back on the Year"

Podcast: Things Unseen with Sinclair B. Ferguson
Host: Ligonier Ministries
Episode Date: December 24, 2025

Overview

In this reflective episode released near the year’s end, Sinclair B. Ferguson considers the spiritual value of looking back at God’s providence over the past year. Using the symbolism of January and its namesake—the Roman god Janus—Dr. Ferguson explores how Christians live "between the times," simultaneously remembering Christ’s past work and anticipating His return. He urges listeners to pause and recount the Lord’s blessings, fostering gratitude and spiritual renewal.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Living Between Two Worlds (00:07–03:10)

• Dr. Ferguson opens by noting that the month of January is named after Janus, the Roman god with two faces—one looking forward, one backward.
• He reflects on the peculiarity of Christians marking time with “pagan” names, seeing it as a providential reminder:

  “We live between the times, like between Christmas and New Year, between the coming of Christ and then the return of Christ. We’re part of God’s new creation... but we’re still living in a world that’s alienated from Him.” (00:25)

• The practice of living “facing both ways” as Christians is not hypocrisy, but spiritual realism:
  • Looking back at Christ’s first coming and forward to His second.

2. The Christian Life: ‘Already’ and ‘Not Yet’ (03:10–04:00)

• Christians live in the “already” of Christ’s accomplishment and the “not yet” of its full realization.
• The Lord’s Supper embodies this dual gaze:

  “We proclaim His death in the past until He comes again in the future.” (03:40)

• This space “between the times” calls for both remembrance and anticipation.

3. Learning from the Past: Spiritual Journaling (04:00–06:05)

• Drawing from John Flavel’s “The Mystery of Providence,” Dr. Ferguson stresses the value of noting God’s providences—both to observe and to record them:

  “Wise old pastors often encouraged their people to observe God’s providences in their lives, but then also to record them, because they knew how forgetful we are.” (04:30)

• Personal anecdote: Initial awe at an event leads to later forgetfulness, revealing the need for intentional remembrance.
• Historical example: Ministers who kept journals and, in their declining years, reflected on God’s faithful dealings:

  “He transferred to another book, a selection of God’s providences... things that might be of use to me from what I have found of God’s love in the days of old. And He is the same, and His compassions fail not.” (05:10)

4. Practical Spiritual Exercise: Counting Blessings (06:05–07:50)

• Suggests taking advantage of the “in between days” (between Christmas and New Year) to reflect on the past year and “count your blessings.”
• Recalls the old Sunday School song:

  “When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed, when you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
  Count your many blessings, name them one by one and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.” (06:50)

• Admits, “That’s not the greatest poetry in the world, but it’s terrific counsel.” (07:10)
• Reiterates the spiritual benefit of recounting blessings, encouraging listeners to follow the Psalmist’s example:

  “The Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad.” (Psalm 126:3) (07:40)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We live between the already of what Christ has done and the not yet of the completion of his work.” (02:15)
• “We proclaim his death in the past until he comes again in the future.” (03:40)
• “They were... things that might be of use to me from what I have found of God’s love in the days of old. And he is the same, and his compassions fail not.” (05:15)
• “Perhaps it will surprise you what the Lord has done, and then you’ll be able to say with the Psalmist... the Lord has done great things for us, and we are glad.” (07:45)

Key Timestamps

• 00:07 – Introduction on January, Janus, and cultural reminders
• 02:10 – Christian perspective: living “between the times”
• 03:40 – The Lord’s Supper as past-future remembrance
• 04:30 – The wisdom of spiritual journaling
• 05:10 – Quoting a minister who stored up God’s providences for old age
• 06:50 – “Count Your Blessings” song and application
• 07:40 – Psalm 126:3—conclusion and call to gratitude

Conclusion

Sinclair Ferguson’s “Looking Back on the Year” invites listeners to anchor their faith in both remembrance and anticipation. By intentionally reflecting on God’s providence in the past year, Christians cultivate deep gratitude and strengthen their hope for the future. The episode’s gentle encouragement—echoed in song and Scripture—offers practical wisdom for spiritual renewal in the season of transition.