Emmaus at Pilot Mill

I have no resume to hold before you, no track record of accomplishments, no letters of commendation, no rights of birth or ethnicity. I have nothing that would place you in my debt, nothing that could curry your favor, nothing that would obligate you. I wish unbridled zeal would commend me to you. I wish unbroken obedience would draw your attention. I wish model wisdom and model love would convince you that I’m worthy. But I have none of these things to offer you. I stand before you with shoulders bent and hands that are empty. I approach you with no argument in my mind or words to offer in my defense. I stand before you naked and undeserving, broken and weak. I am quite aware of the duplicity of my heart, the evil of my choices, and the failure of my behavior, but I am not afraid because I stand before you with one argument, with one plea. This argument is enough. This probably is sufficient. This argument is the only thing that could ever give me courage, rest, and sturdy hope. So I come before you with this plea – your mercy. Your mercy is my rest. Your mercy is my hope. Your mercy makes me bold. Your mercy is all I need. Your mercy tells me you will hear. Your mercy tells me you will act. Your mercy tells me you will forgive. Your mercy tells me you will Restore. Your mercy tells me you will strengthen. Your mercy is my welcome, plea, and rescue. I rest in this one thing: you are mercy and you will answer.
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The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made. ( Ps. 145:9)

Recall the ways God has been merciful to you in the past.

Spend some time in prayer, thanking God for his past mercies and asking for his grace and in current situations.

For further study and encouragement, read Titus 3:3-7.

There is no question that sin is dangerous. There is no question that it produces no good. There is no question that it seduces everyone. There is no question of its power to deceive. There’s no question that I am a victim. There is no question that I was born in its fold. There is no question that I have no power to escape it. There is no question that I can’t free myself from its hold. There is no question that I’ve chosen what is foolish. There is no question that I have loved what is wrong. There is no question that I’ve transgressed your boundaries. There is no question that my trespass has been bold. There is no question that I deserve your judgment. There is no question that I have no righteousness to hold.

So there is no question that there is any hope outside your mercy. There’s no question that I have any place but your grace. There is no question that your sacrifice is needed. There is no question that you hung in my place. There is no question that I have nothing to be proud of. There is no question that I should boast in your cross. There is no question that you were the lamb that was promised. There is no question that I am covered by your blood. There is no question that I will rest in your promise. There is no question that you’re blessed me with peace. There is no question that you will defeat what is in me. There is no question that I will finish my journey. There’s no question that someday I will be free.
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All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—everyone – to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isa. 53:6)

How certain are you that the gospel is true?

Turn this poem into a personal prayer of thanksgiving, praising God for the certainty of your salvation.

For further study and encouragement, read Romans 5:12—24.

I want to trust you, but not always. I want to believe that your way is the best way, but not always. I want to believe that you are wisdom, that I have a little, but not always. I want to believe that every boundary you set is good for me, but not always. I have come to love your law, but not always. I have given my heart to worship the Creator, but not always. I’ve come to understand that the weaknesses in my faith and the inconsistencies of my following daily preach to me that I am far from being free of need for the insight, rescue, forgiveness, transformation, empowerment, deliverance, and freedom that only your grace can give. Tomorrow I will long to be faithful, but will prove to be inconsistent once again. Tomorrow will not always still be in my life, but I have hope, so I know you will greet me with convicting love, forgiving grace, and renewing power once again because with you there is no “not always.”
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Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. (Ps. 51:12)

Even though we humans are “not always“ as consistent in our convictions as we wish to be, how does knowing that God is always the same provide us peace?

Take some time in prayer to confess how you fall short in to praise God for his perfection.

For further study and encouragement, read Mark 14:32-42.

God doesn’t want you to come to him empty-handed. No, you can’t come to him full of yourself, and you can’t come to him based on your track record, and you can’t use your performance as a recommendation. No, you can’t come to him based on your family, your personality, your education, your position in life, the successes you’ve had, the possessions you’ve accumulated, or the human acceptance you’ve gained. But God requires you to come with your hands full. He requires you to bring to him the sweetest of sacrifices, the sacrifice of words. He calls you to bring Hosea’s offering:
“Return, Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall! Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to him: ‘forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips.‘“
God doesn’t want you to come home empty-handed. He asked of you a sacrifice, not a green offering, not a lamb or a bull. Know that requirement has been satisfied by the blood of the Lamb. Yet God asks of you a sacrifice. It is the offering of words, words of humility, words of honesty, words of moral courage, words of moral candor, words that can only be spoken by one who rests in grace. Words of confession are what you must bring. Place words, free of negotiation or excuse, on his altar of grace and receive forgiveness and cleansing. Uncover your heart, exposed by words, and say:
“We will never again say, ‘our gods’ to what our own hands have made, for in you the fatherless find compassion.”
What David willingly did, he requires of you. Come with words. It is the way of grace. It is the way of freedom. It is the way to God.
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You will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. (Ps. 51:16-17)

Contemplate how an “offering of words” is the way of grace and freedom.

Consider and gather up the “words“ you can offer as a humble sacrifice to God today.

For further study and encouragement, read Hosea 14.

It will be the most exuberant celebration ever. It will never grow boring. It will always be fresh. It will consume us all. We will want to do nothing else. The celebration will go on and on, with songs that will never grow old. We will be so amazed that we have been invited into the choir. And our amazement will never abate. This celebration that will never end is the celebration of grace. If you listen carefully, you will hear the songs have already begun!

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You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Ps. 16:11)

Allow yourself to ponder the joys of heaven as you go about your daily tasks today.

Celebrate and rejoice in the grace that God is extended to you. Try to describe it in as much detail as possible.

For further study and encouragement read Revelation 21.

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A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot. ( Prov. 14:30)

Do you find yourself envious of others' prosperity or blessings?

Consider how Christ can rescue you from the trap of envy.

For further study and encouragement, read 1 Timothy 6:3-10.

Teaching on Luke 9:46-62