Getting What We Want

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Our reading titled Getting What We Want was written by Tim Gustafson. Aaron Burr anxiously awaited the result of the tie-breaking vote from the U.S. House of Representatives. Deadlocked with Thomas Jefferson in the 1800 race for the presidency, Burr had reason to believe that the House would declare him the winner. However, he lost and bitterness gnawed at his soul. Nurturing grievances against Alexander Hamilton for not supporting his candidacy, Burr killed Hamilton in a gun duel less than four years later. Outraged by the killing, his country turned its back on him and Burr died a dour old man.

Political power plays are a tragic part of history. When King David was nearing death, his son Adonijah recruited David's commander and a leading priest to make him king. But David had chosen Solomon as king.

With the help of the prophet Nathan, the rebellion was put down. Despite his reprieve, Adonijah plotted a second time to steal the throne and Solomon had him executed. How human of us to want what's not rightfully ours. No matter how hard we pursue power, prestige, or possessions, it's never quite enough.

We always want something more. How unlike Jesus, who Philippians 2.8 says, humbled himself by becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Ironically, selfishly pursuing our own ambitions never brings us our truest, deepest longings. Leaving that outcome to God is the only path to peace and joy. Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from 1 Kings chapter 1 verse 5 and verses 32 through 37. Now Adonijah, whose mother was Hagath, put himself forward and said, I will be king. So he got chariots and horses ready, with fifty men, to run ahead of him. King David said, Call in Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada. When they came before the king, he said to them, Take your lord's servants with you, and have Solomon my son mount my mule, and take him down to Gihon. There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet and shout, Long live King Solomon! Then you are to go up with him, and he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah. Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, Amen. May the lord, the god of my lord the king, so declare it.

As the lord was with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon to make his throne even greater than the throne of my lord king David. Let's pray. Dear God, we are constantly at war with our own desires. We want what we want and nothing else matters. We know that you want more of us, though, so please help us focus our minds on you and what you want for us. May our every action be honoring to you. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. Thanks for listening. I'm Stephen, and today's encouragement was provided by Our Daily Bread Ministries.