“Let a righteous man strike me – it is kindness; let him rebuke me – it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it” (Psalm 141:5).

What an odd passage. How in the world is striking another kindness? How is rebuke a balm of healing?

Then, what in the world could the Bible have in mind when it says “Let” a righteous man strike me – it is kindness? How can striking someone and rebuking someone be kindness?

First of all, the Bible is not advocating violence.

What the Bible is advocating is wisdom. There is so much wisdom that can be learned and gained for those less wise from those who are righteous. What better way to learn about how to live a life that is pleasing to God, a life that is fruitful than to learn it from someone who is righteous and someone who’s already been living this life?

Our issue is that we insist on living life according to our own rules and our own standards. We are terrible when it comes to listening to wisdom. We insist on making all our own mistakes. And that is a tragedy. That is so unwise.

What the Bible is trying to teach us is that we can either let life smack us around or we can humble ourselves and let the righteous teach us how best to live life.

What a genuine gift it would be to have the righteous show us when we are wrong and when we have gone off track so that before something really tragic can happen, we can make the necessary corrections.

In order for this to happen, we need enough humility to seek such guidance, and secondly enough wisdom to accept such rebuke and correction when it is given in love by the righteous.

So how about it? Ready for some wisdom?

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

History is not meandering through time. All of history is marching toward a final destination. The Bible calls this final destination of all time the “Day of the LORD” or the “Day of Judgment.” On this day, everyone will face God from the throne of judgment.

The reason why Christians are saved from judgment and damnation is not because Christians are good and righteous. The reason why Christians will be saved from judgment and damnation is because Jesus is good and righteous.

On the Day of the LORD, I will stand before God if I were Christ because Christ stood before God as if he were me.

Theologians call this substitutionary atonement.

Atonement literally means a reparation or payment for sin. Sin is costly. This is the reason why when we pray the Lord’s Prayer we pray, “Forgive us our debts…” The debt is the payment that sin requires.

Substitutionary atonement means that Jesus pays the debt of sin on our behalf. On the cross, Jesus bore my sins and paid its debt by descending into hell. But that’s not the end of the story. Jesus rose again from the dead so that all who receive Jesus as Lord and Savior will rise with Christ as sons and daughters. That’s what the verse of the day means: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

When Christians stand before God on the Day of Judgment what God sees in Christians is sons and daughters because of all that Jesus did for us on the cross.

Jesus paid the debt of sin on our behalf. That is what he meant when he cried on the cross, “It is finished.” Jesus was saying, “Father, for this one, I’ve paid it all. It’s done. It is finished.”

Because of all that Jesus has done for us on the cross, we are now received into God’s kingdom as sons and daughters. Not because we are good and righteous but because Jesus is good and righteous.

This is the gospel. This is Good News.

Thank you Jesus! Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. Thank you for giving me new life. Thank you Jesus!

“Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD” (Psalm 27:14).

English translations of this verse make it sound like we are the source and the generators of strength and courage – we somehow generate strength and courage. The Hebrew makes it clear that this is an incorrect reading of the text. The Hebrew says, “Wait for the LORD and he will strengthen.” The subject of the verb “be strong” is Yahweh. It is the LORD who strengthens us.

Thank God for that because we will not make it through this season without the LORD’s strength.

There is an interesting correlation between when and how God strengthens with waiting. We typically understand waiting as a passive stance. But the text makes it clear that it is when we are waiting that the LORD strengthens. Waiting is active. Waiting is a willful choice.

What does the strength of the LORD look like?

• When everything in you is screaming for activity
• When everything in you is demanding that you do something
• When everything in you is begging you to find your own way through

“Wait for the LORD; he will strengthen so take heart and wait for the LORD.”

There are times when we are waiting that we live in the strength of the LORD, that we are courageous in the LORD.

We are approaching Thanksgiving and Christmas. These are seasons where we’ve always gotten together with friends and family. In fact, it’s almost impossible to imagine what the holidays are going to be like without friends and family.

We want to gather as we’ve always done for worship. It’s been months! I get it.

“Wait for the LORD; he will strengthen so take heart and wait for the LORD.”

This has been a long season of waiting. This season is getting tiresome and we are weary.

Yet, covid cases are spiking all over the country and in our community.

Friends, I am so proud of the Little Church and Lakewoodgrace. You have continued to wait in the LORD. You have continued to do your part to find new ways of worshiping online and serving while waiting on God. And it is in this season of waiting that the LORD is strengthening you.

• There is a vaccine right around the corner.
• Continue to do your part to protect the vulnerable in our community.
• Continue to wait until it is safe for us to meet face to face with friends and family.
• Continue to protect the health care providers and other essential workers.

“Wait for the LORD; he will strengthen so take heart and wait for the LORD.”

We’ve made it in the strength of the LORD thus far. The end is in sight. Don’t lose hope. Wait for the LORD and experience God’s strength.

Well done Little Church and Lakewoodgrace!!! We will make it in the strength of the LORD.