It will make a beautiful curve.

As far as soccer goes, I'm mot much in the way of anything special. In fact, I'm actually quite lame. However, that doesn't change the fact that I love it above all other sports.

Last night, I was playing soccer with a guy named Joseph. We were just kicking the ball around, not really anything serious, and I was asking if he knew how to do a trivela kick, aka a bananna kick. Basically, a trivela kick is when you curve your shot in the opposit direction of it's natural curve.

For example, a right footed shot normal curves from the shooter's right to the shooter's left. A right footed trivela kick will curve from the shooter's left to the shooter's right.

The trivela is a very effective shot in that it curves a good bit, making it harder for the goalie to stop it, and it also looks very pretty when done properly.

Now, I'm not anything special at soccer, and quite far from it, but none the less, I still want to learn to do trivelas.

I asked Joseph what advice he had about my trivela shot, and he replied,

"Just kick it as hard as you can. Use a lot of power. If you do it right, it will make a beautiful curve. You're trying to curve the ball, not shoot the ball. Just shoot it, and let it curve naturally."

And he was right. Rather than trying to strike the ball perfectly, or just right, he told me just to blast it, and let the curve happen naturally.

Turns out that he was right. In a big way. At the time, I was excited to just be able to have a semi-decent trivela. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that the principle of a trivela applies to a Christian life.

As Christians, we are supposed to be working for the Lord as much as possible, and with reverence. Are we to have devotion, dedication, goals, and an aim? Yes! But we leave the results to God. Paul planted, Apollos watered, and God gave the increase.

Much like a trivela, where all I have to do is strike the ball as hard as I can and let it curve on its own, a Christian just has to work as hard as possible, and let God provide the results.

(I studued in Proverbs today, but I'll have that devotion up tomorrow)

--Pray for Spain. Pray that the Lord would raise up missionaries and native Spaniards to take the gospel to the millions of lost souls in Spain.--

The Book of Esther

The Book of Esther begins with the king having an extravagant feast. He asks the queen to come out and show her beauty to the people there, yet she refuses. King Ahasuerus is so upset, that he removes the current queen, and orders a search for a new queen to take place.

Esther, who is being raised by her cousin, Mordechai, is selected to be one of the women who may be chosen to be queen. During this time, Mordechai finds out about a plot to kill the king, and prevents it, and this is recorded by the royal court, though Mordechai is not rewarded at the time.

Haman, a prime minister to the king, later becomes infuriated with Mordechai because he refuses to bow to him. In his anger, Haman decides to kill Mordechai, and all the other Jews as well as an act of revenge.

Mordechai finds out about this plot, and tells Esther. He tells her she needs to tell the king. Esther is afraid she’ll be killed for approaching the king without an invitation, but she knows what must be done, and claims, “If I perish, I perish.”

After some time of fasting, she goes unto the king, and is accepted. She then invites him to a banquet, or feast in the company of Haman.

That night, the king cannot sleep, so the book of records is read to him. Here the king finds out that Mordechai thwarted an attempt against his life, and that no reward has been given to him. The King asks Haman what he should do for a man that is to be honoured.

Haman tells the king that he should be dressed in the finest clothes, and rode around town, publically honoured for his service to the king.

The kings then asks Haman to parade Mordechai around on the finest horse, and in the finest garments. Having to do such a thing for the very Mordechai who refused to bow to him, Haman is humiliated.

That night, the banquet Esther had prepared was to take place. Here, she tells the king she is a Jew, and that Haman is going to kill all the Jews. The king is furious, and leaves the room in rage, only to come back, and find Haman begging the queen for his life. This is interpreted as an attempt to take her life, and Haman is hanged on a gallows he built for Mordechai.

Though the decree has already been made to kill all the Jews on a certain date, because of Esther and Mordechai’s favour with the king, he allows all the Jews to be gathered together ( in their cities) to defend themselves.

As a result, the Jews are victorious against their enemies.

The application is this: If one or two people have the king’s ear, mighty things can be done. Why, then, do Christians not realize they have an ear with the King of kings, Lord of lords and the King of all that is, was, and is to come? If two people can save the entire Jewish race, what could a whole church, constantly serving the King of Heaven, and constantly in His ear with prayers ad fasting really do? I think we, as Christians, would be shocked what would happen if we decided to step our game up, and constantly be in God’s ear.

--Pray for Spain. Pray that the Lord would raise up missionarie and native Spaniards to take the gospel to the millions of lost souls in Spain.--

Job 38-42

I re-read chapter 38, because I really like it. I really like 38:3:

Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

God basically tells Job to be a man, and do what's required.. I really wish I could be more of a man than I am. I'm not trying to earn sympathy or go fishing for compliments, but I really need to step my game up sometimes. It gets so bad I can smell my own mediocrity.

Anyway.
God explains to Job that nothing He does is fully understandable by man, and in the last chapter, Job comes full circle. His friends offer an offering for their actions and lack of helpful spirit, and Job gets blessed twice as much as he had before, and then dies.

--Pray for Spain. Pray that the Lord would raise up missionaries and native Spaniards to take the gospel to the millions of lost souls in Spain.--

Niño.

I'm not really worthy of the title "man" just yet. I'm still a boy, to be quite honest. I have a lot of growing to do, and shouldn't be given the title of a man just yet. I can see where the Lord has really grown me, but in no wise am I ready to be a full man yet. I have some serious growth to do before I should be considered a man.

--Pray for Spain. Pray that the Lord would raise up missionaries and native Spaniards to take the gospel to the millions of lost souls in Spain.--

Job 34-38

Elihu starts talking to Job, and finally give Job an answer he cannot rebuke. He manages to show Job where he sinned, and begins to assert the fact that God cannot be totally understood by human minds.

--Pray for Spain. Pray that the Lord would raise up missionaries and native Spaniards to take the gospel to the millions of lost souls in Spain.--

Job22-33

I left my laptop at the Church, and have been locked out of said church for three days straight. This is why I haven't posted my devotions or anything. I'm sorry to have been irresponsible and unaccountable.

Anyway. Job is still arguing/debating with his "friends" and they finally admit defeat in chapter 32, which is where Elihu enters.

On a side note, Job 29 is an amazing chapter, in that it reveals the power someone has if he or she is walking totally with God. Amazing stuff. When I opened up to start my devotions yesterday, I read that chapter, and stopped reading. It literally was so powerful that I just stopped reading. Job 29- The power of a faithful Christian.

--Pray for Spain. Pray that the Lord would raise up missionaries and native Spaniards to take the gospel to the millions of lost souls in Spain.--