9904 Woodstream Court, Lanham MD 20706

Phone: +1 (240) 350-6426

http://www.joyfullivingministries.org
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DAILY NUGGETS FOR JOYFUL LIVING

Sunday, February 1, 2015
though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be
removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee,
saying, this is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, andto the left. Isaiah 30:20-21 KJV
YOU ARE UNDER DIVINE GUIDANCE
One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across
the sky. In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times
there was one only. This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering
from anguish, sorrow, or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord, You promised me
Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods
of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, have you not been
there for me? The Lord replied, The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I
carried you. The footprint as told by Mary Stevenson, 1936.
When Jesus declared the intention of the devil against humanity in John 10:10, BBE, He was predicting the
moment when you will probably experience the stroke of ill fortune. The good news is that He also announced His
intention to boost your life even in the midst of affliction or state of unannounced uncommon misfortune. Read the
declaration of Jesus in Johns Gospel here: The thief comes only to take the sheep and to put them to death: he
comes for their destruction: I have come so that they may have life and have it in greater measure. And Psalms
100:3 reveals that you are Gods sheep: Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we
ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. It is very clear that the plan of Satan to eliminate you is
a very calculated process. The process is to first gain entry into your life, secondly, take over your life and finally,
put you to death. This is an age long strategy which he still uses today. How does Satan gain entry into your life? If
he finds anything that he can accuse you of, he has gained entrance into your life. On this Jesus said in John 14:30,
the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me. If he can lure you into believing that the lust of the
flesh, the lust of the eye and the pride of life are note issues to worry about, then he has gained access into your
life. He will push harder to convince you that everyone is pursuing these things and you should not be left out. Again,
when you begin to argue over issues that the Bible has expressly cautioned against, of course you have given the
devil access into your life. If you go further to regard iniquity in your heart, then the devil has taken over your life
because at that point, the Lord will not hear you anymore. Psalms 66:18 firmly cautions: If I regard iniquity in my
heart, the Lord will not hear me: If you go further more to propagate obvious evil as some do today, then the devil
has killed you indeed.
In the midst of adversity, God is very gracious with His guidance. Remember the saying that man shall not
live by bread alone and how Jesus reiterated this in Matthew 4:4, But he answered and said, It is written, Man
shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. And so, if the Lord gives
you the bread of adversity or the water of affliction, that does not depict His abandonment. He knows that with or

without that bread, you are still covered and under His grace. When the water you need to quench your taste is
water of affliction, then that should provoke you to believe that the presence of His Spirit is all you need in your
daily journey. And the good news is that His Spirit is still ready to guide you no matter how deplorable you think
your situation or state may be. Our Bible text is a confirmation of this. And though the Lord give you the bread of
adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes
shall see thy teachers: And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye
turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. His guidance is irrevocable. Nothing is strong enough to
replace the guidance of Gods Spirit with you. One thing God is never ready to compromise is to withdraw His Spirit
when you are faced with adversities in life. It is actually when things are very difficult that you really need the Holy
Spirits presence to guide and direct you. He is called Thy Teacher. You will virtually see Him as He teaches you. His
voice will be audible at all times and you will never become a stranger to that voice anymore. He will give you clear,
concise and distinct instructions. He will lead you into all truth that will remedy your situations. Thats the work of
God. He will not leave you nor forsake you. The example of His Fatherly compassion, concern and care is displayed in
our frontline story. When you are at your low end, thats when He will carry you. The reaction of Jesus to the devils
plan is heart soothing and worming, I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more
abundantly. God is very proactive to take care of you. Therefore, no matter where you are at the moment, if Joyful
Living is not yet your experience, then look up and put back your confidence in the Lord and he will surely guide you
in the midst of adversity. Amen?

Pastors Chris & Julie Akpama

Dont forget your COVENANT with God every day. Call the pastor from 6:30 pm till 9:30 pm @ (240) 350-6426 for encouragement and for
covenant prayers. Call expecting! Call believing!! Your miracle is possible with prayers!!! Amen? Acts 12:5-9

2015, A YEAR OF DIVINE EXCHANGE Isaiah 61:2-3