Who Shall Not Fear Him?

Who shall not fear thee, O Lord,

and glorify thy name?

for thou only art holy:

for all nations shall come and worship before thee; 

for thy judgments are made manifest.

Revelation 15:4

As I finished reading through the Bible again in June, this verse stood out to me. I recognized it because it was included in a song I had recently sung in a chorale group. And truly, when 250+ voices are raised in song towards the Lord, it is only a small part of what I imagine heaven will be like when all the ransomed ones sing praise to the risen Lamb. 

But I also recalled the scene in the last book of C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia. Aslan and those loyal to him have finally defeated the White Witch and her allies, and it is time for a new age to begin. Yet, there is one final act of separation between good and evil. As Aslan stands in the doorway, all the creatures of Narnia meet face to face with the King of Creation one last time. They all looked; they had no choice. And as they did so one of two things happened. Those who turned to Aslan's left were those who looked into his face and feared and hated the one standing in front of them. They fled from his presence into the darkness and were never seen again. But those who turn to his right were those who looked at him in fear, yes, but they also loved him, even though they were also frightened. These chosen few who feared but loved Aslan walked through the golden gates into his kingdom. 

Both kinds of animals feared the Lion, but there were two different kinds of fear. One was of utter terror and hatred, the other of reverence and awe. And it was to me a small reminder of the ending of this world. When the Lord returns and His feet rest on the Mount of Olives, who shall not fear thee, O Lord? We all will fear Him; we all should fear Him. The Creator of our life, the One who holds our very breath in His hands, the One whose righteous wrath would destroy every single person on the planet, the One who will divide the sheep from the goats on the Last Day. Yes, He is worthy of our fear. 

There will be a dividing of those faithful and true to the Lord and from those who served the Devil. The judgment is certain, and it will be just. Those who face Him with their own works and doings will find no mercy. Those who have given their loyalty to other masters will find no second chances at the foot on the Great Judgment Day. Those who have hated His commands and refused to submit their lives to the Creator of it all will be sent into everlasting misery. 

But those who have placed themselves under the blood of Christ have nothing to be ashamed of, for we have learned to love Him, too. We contrast His holiness with our filthiness and we stand in awe and love at the One who carried the weight of our sin to set us free. We love Him. We glorify Him. 

All the nations shall worship Him. Every single creature, race, ethnic group, gender, kind, religion, background, and nationality will bow down to Him as Creator. As Judge of His world. There will be those who bow out of sheer terror, and there will be those who cast themselves down at His feet out of humble gratefulness in their Savior. 

Which group will you belong to? You will fear Him; that is certain. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord?You will be judged; that is also certain. Thy judgments are made manifest. But will you be forced to bow or will you join the thousands of redeemed ones who will raise the cry of "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing!" 

*****

A very happy Canada Day to all my fellow Canadians! May God keep our land glorious and free. May our country return to the Lord. 

O Canada! Our home and native land!

True patriot love in all thy sons command.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise, 

The True North strong and free!

From far and wide, 

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

O Canada! Where pines and maples grow.

Great prairies spread and lordly rivers flow.

How dear to us thy broad domain,

From East to Western sea.

Thou land of hope for all who toil!

Thou True North, strong and free!

O Canada! Beneath thy shining skies

May stalwart sons, and gentle maidens rise,

To keep thee steadfast through the years

From East to Western sea.

Our own beloved native land!

Our True North, strong and free!

Ruler Supreme, who hearest humble prayer,

Hold our Dominion in thy loving care;

Help us to find, O God, in thee

A lasting, rich reward,

As waiting for the better Day, 

We ever stand on guard.

God keep our land glorious and free!

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

*****

Blessings,

Kaleigh