Devotional THought of the Day:
²¹  I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. ²²  I love God’s law with all my heart. ²³  But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. ²⁴  Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? ²⁵  Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.  Romans 7:21-25 (NLT) 

344      For a son of God each day should be an opportunity for renewal, knowing for sure that with the help of grace he will reach the end of the road, which is Love. That is why if you begin and begin again, you are doing well. If you have a will to win, if you struggle, then, with God’s help, you will conquer! There will be no difficulty you cannot overcome!

I have read that Luther advised us to remember our baptism every morning as we prayed, and every evening as we prayed before sleep.  There is a reason for it, to strengthen our knowledge and trust in God, because each day has its own evil, because we will be tempted and fail.

Though some would deny it, the miserable battle Paul identifies above in the Christian goes on daily.  If we examine ourselves (1 Corinthians 11)  We must deal with the misery of the guilt and shame we bring upon ourselves, as we fail, as we sin.  As I write this, I am listening to the music from Les Mis, and the song where Javert commits suicide.  Why? Because he knows the war between justice and mercy.  He can’t imagine a world where mercy trumps justice, where love and grace triumph over the law.  Such is Paul’s world – the misery he refers to, the danger to the journey towards love that Escriva mentions as well.

We remember our baptism at night so that we can est in peace, knowing God is merciful, and promised to forgive us.

We pray in the morning, remembering and being thankful as well, knowing that this rebirth and renewal will mark our day.  That we will expect to see God’s work in our day, in our lives, in our interactions.

For without such, our struggle becomes impossible, we forget that there is no condemnation when we are found in Christ.  Instead there is peace, and healing, and assuredness that the Holy Spirit is working there,  We would believe that sin or temptation could separate us from the love of God, that God is limited, and can’t make even the sin we repent of work out for good, for those who love Him, who are called according to His purposes.

It is as Paul taught Titus:

“But—“When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, ⁵  he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. ⁶  He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. ⁷  Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.” ⁸  This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone.“ Titus 3:4-8 (NLT)

But this is a truth we need throughout our days, the truth of being reborn in Christ, of being forgiven, of being shown grace.

that is the way to a victorious Christian life…. to realize our need for the gospel… in our lives, and the hope of it for those around us as well.

Lord have mercy on us sinners!

Escriva, Josemaria (2011-01-31). The Forge (Kindle Locations 1356-1359). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.