Standing at the portal

Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

The following poem by Frances Ridley Havergal is titled or designated “New Year’s Hymn,” with the scripture reference Isaiah xli.10.

1. Standing at the portal of the opening year,
Words of comfort meet us hushing every fear,
Spoken through the silence by our Father’s voice,
Tender, strong and faithful, making us rejoice.
Onward, then, and fear not, children of the day!
For His word shall never, never pass away.

2. I, the Lord, am with you: Be thou not afraid!
I will help and strengthen; Be thou not dismayed!
Yes, I will uphold thee with my own right hand!
Thou are called and chosen in my sight to stand.
Onward, then, and fear not, children of the day!
For His word shall never, never pass away.

3. For the year before us, oh, what rich supplies!
For the poor and needy living streams shall rise;
For the sad and sinful shall His grace abound;
For the faint and feeble perfect strength be found.
Onward, then, and fear not, children of the day!
For His word shall never, never pass away.

4. He will never fail us, He will not forsake us;
His eternal covenant He will never break!
Resting on His promise, what have we to fear?
God is all-sufficient for the coming year.
Onward, then, and fear not, children of the day!
For His word shall never, never pass away.

Some sources date this hymn January 4, 1873, but it appears that it was first published in a book in Under the Surface (London: James Nisbet, 1874). It has four stanzas and is found on pages 161-163.

Frances Ridley Havergal was a daughter of William Henry Havergal and Jane Head. Her father was a minister in the Church of England, as well as a composer and poet. Frances was born at Astley, Worcestershire, December 14, 1836. She wrote that in 1851, “I committed my soul to the Saviour, and earth and heaven seemed brighter from that moment.” Frances died at Caswell Bay, Swansea, June 3, 1879, and is buried at the Priory Church of St. Peter in Astley, Worcestershire, England.

Frances Havergal was well-educated, including mastering several languages, two of which were Greek and Hebrew. She was writing verses at a very young age, and spent much of her lifetime producing poems that expressed her deep love of her Lord Jesus Christ. One of her best-known hymns is “Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to thee.”

The “Standing at the Portal” hymn is probably most often paired with St. Albans.