Loving God of all days, bless this day as a special, grace-filled day in the life and needs of this dear reader; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Our text for today comes from Romans 7: 15 What I don't understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. 16 So if I can't be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God's command is necessary. 17 But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! 18 I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. 19 I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. 20 My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. 21 It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. 22 I truly delight in God's commands, 23 but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. 24 I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question? 25 The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. (The Message)
The season of Pentecost is the time to remember that even our best intentions to do right and well fail. We're just like St. Paul who wrote that he tried and tried and tried on his own to do the things he knew he had to do, but couldn't. The reminder is that Christ's Holy Spirit came down to help us in our daily living. We try to avoid being like people we despise, but there we are, right next to them in terms of similar actions. We know what God wants, we do what we want. We know the commandments but we choose the pleasure we get from things that go against the commandments. What Paul realized is that sin has power. Sin has the power to tempt us and deviate us from the right path of God. And like Paul wrote, "The moment I decide to do goo, sin is there to trip me up." And not every part of us delights in the Lord. Who can help me? Who can do something for me?
The answer, as Paul says, "thank God, is that Jesus Christ can do does." Amen.
PRAYER: Loving God Your Holy Word contains so much about my life and my attempts to be and do good, but I fail. Help me to realize that by myself I can do nothing; I require and request the assistance and presence of Your Holy Spirit to guide me and bless me. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.
Eradio Valverde
