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 dower 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 First Kings chapter 1, verse 5, and verses 32 through 37.

Now, Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said,

I will be king, so he got chariots and horses ready with 50 men to run ahead of him.

King David said, call in Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaya, son of Jehoiada.

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