December 18

Isaiah 30:20-21

Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them.  Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

NLT: Though the Lord gave you adversity for food and suffering for drink, he will still be with you to teach you.  You will see your teacher with your own eyes.  Your own ears will hear him.  Right behind you a voice will say,”This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left.

Ephesians 5:19-20

Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

NLT:  Singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts.  Give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:17 (AMP)

For our light, momentary affliction (this slight distress of the passing hour) is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of  glory (Beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculations, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease!).

NLT:   For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long.  Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!