Standing at the Portal

Some of the loveliest music in our "Book of Praise" is seldom sung.  Advent hymns and Christmas carols outnumber the Sundays we have to sing them.  But New Year's hymns really get short shrift.   One of my favourites, "All Beautiful the March of Days" isn't in our hymn book, but the poetry evokes a wonderful vision of winter, a time of silence and waiting and beauty.

All beautiful the march of days, as seasons come and go;
The Hand that shaped the rose hath wrought the crystal of the snow;

Hath sent the hoary frost of Heav’n, the flowing waters sealed,
And laid a silent loveliness on hill and wood and field.

 What we do have is the hymn we sang last Sunday, the first Sunday of the new year, "Standing at the Portal."

Here is what Dr. Kirk had to say on this particular hymn.

    

December 31
Scripture reading:  Joshua 1. 1 - 9

We have come full circle now.  The year draws swiftly to its close and we wonder what the future holds for us.  Most people are fearful as they face the unknown, but Christians have the assurance that they do not have to face the mystery of what lies ahead alone.  There is One who stands alongside us, whispering "words of comfort . . hushing every fear".  Our heavenly Father's words make us rejoice for they are "tender, strong and faithful".

How wonderful it is to have the assurance of one who always keeps his promise.  "His eternal covenant he will never break".  When Joshua was appointed to lead the children of Israel into the promised land following the death of Moses, he must have wondered whether he was capable of doing the job.  Moses is one of the towering figures of world history.  Single-handedly (humanly speaking) he had freed the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt, led them through harrowing experiences over many years during their wanderings in the wilderness, given them a law and promised a land - and now he was dead and his mantle had fallen to Joshua.  In the midst of his fears the God of Moses spoke to the new commander of his people, assuring Joshua of his continued presence.  "Be thou not dismayed; I will uphold thee with my right hand".  The new leader was reminded that he was "called and chosen" and consequently there was no reason to fear the unknown.

And so it is with each Christian person.  We too have a special status.  "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people" (1 Pet. 2:9) - "for the year before us, O what rich supplies!"  Whatever circumstance we may find ourselves in, whether we are "poor and needy . . sad and sinful . . faint and feeble", the resources we need will be provided.  There will be streams of refreshing water.  God's grace will abound to us and his strength will be made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12. 9).

It is the experience of God's people throughout human history "that he will never fail us".  God is not capricious as we are; he remains true to his word and his nature and "he will not forsake (us)".  How blessed we are when we have human friends on whom we can rely unreservedly.  Take that trust and multiply it to the nth degree and we have still not exhausted the reliability of our God.  He has made precious promises to us and if we will fulfil the conditions he will carry them through, so "what have we to fear?"  Whatever our needs may be in the coming year, our "God is all-sufficient" and will provide for us as surely as he has done in this year, which has now come to a close.  We go forward into the unknown with the promise the apostle Paul proved so often in his own experience, "My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4. 19).

My thanks to Edna for sharing Dr. Kirk's writings with this blog.