Devotional Discovery
A 366-Day Spiritual Exploration and Bible Reading Plan
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January 1 Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints. —Psalm 149:1 Can we not find a good reason to praise the Lord with a new song upon the earliest day of a new year? We might begin our song by praising God for His forgiveness of sins, the deliverance of sinners, and the protection of His saints. Next, we might give Him glory for every blessing, for every answered prayer, and for the fulfilment of His promises to humankind. Then we could go further in our exalting Jehovah by honoring His person, for He is good, kind, loving, just, holy, wise, merciful, and gracious though “all we like sheep have gone astray.” Praising God is the obligation of angels, the privilege of believers, the instinct of creation, and the compulsion of devils, including Satan (Job 1:6), for we have read that all “things in heaven, earth, and under the earth” should bow before the Lord Almighty in humble reverence! Should not the children of the Most High God adore their Maker, their Sovereign, and their faithful Friend in a greater degree than those who desire to blaspheme and reject His name? How can we not make melody in our hearts unto the Lord when singing is the easiest way to express the genuine praise of our hearts? It should never become a drudgery to praise God, nor should we feel as if it were old hat to offer Him praise, seeing that His mercies are new every morning, His provisions are fresh every day, and His comfort and peace are available to us in endless supply throughout each night. Let us sing unto the Lord in the congregation of His saints as we know full well that where two or three are gathered together in the name of the Lord, He will honor that assembly with His beloved presence. But let our song be “new” so that it matches the birth we have obtained through Christ Jesus. If we claim that our love for the Lord has not grown old, then let our songs about Him ever be fresh and new, consistent, and sincere. Bless the Lord today, dear Christian, and sing unto Him some fresh song! Today’s scripture reading: Matthew 1–2, Psalm 1 January 2 Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment. —Isaiah 41:1 A wise saying that has been passed down from generation to generation deals with the fact that because God has created us with two ears and one mouth, “we should listen twice as much as we speak.” This, of course, is excellent advice, even if it poses a great challenge for most of us. The lost man finds it difficult to hold his tongue and listen to the sounds of grace reflecting from the gospel story. His mouth is filled with arguments, debates, discussions, and rejections so as to never permit the message of salvation to enter his ears and convict his heart. As a result, his overactive tongue has muted his ears, and he will not be saved. The religious man has a mind filled with personal preferences, supposed scriptural contradictions, and other social controversies so that while he has filled himself with dogma, he is devoid of God’s Son. It was unto this class of people that Christ often said, “He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear.” However, it is possible for professing Christians, who have tasted of the Bread of Life and drunk of the Living Water, to be guilty of speaking too much and listening too little also. We live in a world where few people really take notice of the events around them. The voice of the Lord can be discovered in the stillness and quietness of our mornings, but who will seek Him there? Our God has been discovered by the restless and fearful soul in the midnight hour by those who meditate on Him in silence. Wise Solomon wrote that in life there is found “a time to keep silence, and a time to speak” (Ecclesiastes 3:7), and we cannot help but notice the order in which he placed the two activities. Christian brothers and sisters, are we talking too much? Do we ever follow David’s counsel to “stand in awe … and be still” or the psalmist’s words “be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 4:4, 46:10)? It might be a fine resolution for the year to speak only after hearing all that our Father has said first, and even then to offer the single response, “Amen, my Lord!” Today’s scripture reading: Matthew 3–4, Psalm 2 January 3 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. —Psalm 119:11 A recent post from a federal web site listed thirteen of the nation’s most popular resolutions for the new year: lose weight, volunteer to help others, quit smoking, get a better education, get a better job, save money, get fit, eat healthy food, manage stress, take a trip, “reduce, reuse, and recycle,” and lastly, drink less alcohol. However, according to the research at Forbes, only a measly 8 percent of people will ever keep the resolutions they make from one year to the next. What is the secret to accomplishing what we claim we want to do? Of course, several factors might contribute to resolution failure, but one reason must be the absence of a “so that” or a “that I might not” in the resolutions we make. In other words, when we resolve to do or not do an activity, let us also provide a “why” with the “what.” Listing the purpose with the resolution will serve as a positive reinforcement for keeping that decision. This would alter our resolutions from “I want to lose weight” to “My goal is to eat healthier foods and reasonable portion sizes so that my Lord will be pleased with my care of this bodily temple.” Those who have developed to excess the addiction of tobacco or alcohol consumption might resolve, “This year I will quit smoking.” But what if they resolved by saying, “By God’s grace, I will let go of that which is currently polluting my body so that my friends and family may see the power of God’s deliverance.” What if we all decided to enlist in helping others, so that they might experience the love of God through us, and we might win them to our Savior? Or maybe we should seek ways to better manage our stress so that people may witness the peace and comfort that the Holy Ghost provides every believer as we face the struggles of life. The psalmist touches upon a powerful principle in this little line. His desire was to place God’s Word in his heart for the ultimate purpose of sinning less against God. It simply follows that if we would accompany a reason with every resolution, we may have more to celebrate at the close of every year. Today’s scripture reading: Matthew 5–7, Psalm 3
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Can we not find a good reason to praise the Lord with a new song upon the earliest day of a new year? We might begin our song by praising God for His forgiveness of sins, the deliverance of sinners, and the protection of His saints. Next, we might give Him glory for every blessing, for every answered prayer, and for the fulfilment of His promises to humankind. Then we could go further in our exalting Jehovah by honoring His person, for He is good, kind, loving, just, holy, wise, merciful, and gracious though “all we like sheep have gone astray.” In Devotional Discovery, authors Tracy Curington and Abigail Curington take a deep dive into exploring God’s word through 366 days of devotionals, giving you an opportunity to explore every chapter and verse of God’s word in one year. Written by a father-daughter duo, this devotional offers a companion resource to reading the Bible. Each devotional ends with a suggested scripture reading.
About the Author
Tracy Curington has been married to his wife, April, for a quarter of a century. Together they live in southern Oklahoma with their eight children. His family tree is deeply rooted in Christian ministry dating back to the time of circuit-riding preachers in early America. Tracy is passionate about personal development and facilitating growth in others. He has channeled that energy into serving and mentoring people for the last two decades as the senior pastor of a local church God used him to plant. Early on in that ministry, Tracy took up “pen and paper” to begin creating resources and content to train others for the ministry and for living the victorious Christian life. Today, as a certified coach, speaker, trainer, and consultant, Tracy has been using his gifts to facilitate coaching and training sessions to businesses, churches, individuals, and entrepreneurs at both the local and national level. Tracy values his faith, his family, his freedom, his friends, and having fun, and these traits are easily detected through his personality, in his ministry, and by his career. You hold in your hands the very first of his published works. Thank you. May it not only be a blessing to you but also through you as you share it with others. Abigail (Abby) Curington was born in Hamilton, Ohio, and grew up as the oldest daughter and one of eight children of Tracy and April Curington. Abigail’s love and appreciation for writing come from the years of watching her parents write lessons and church curriculum with a passion like none other. Abigail’s salvation at the age of fourteen after years of struggling with doubt is what the Lord used to inspire her to write. What started with daily journaling about what God had revealed through scripture turned into writing devotionals about those same truths along with personal experiences and applications. Abigail currently lives with her family in Oklahoma, where she serves in her local church in various ministries, including music, youth, and office.