1 Kings 1:5 (NIV): Now Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, “I will be king.” So he got chariots and horses ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him.
As a teenager I rode my bike everywhere. I rode long distances. I remember riding on the US Highway 190 By-Pass in my hometown of Killeen, Texas before it even opened. The round trip was probably at least 30 miles. In college I rode over 100 miles at a time. I really had a dream of being an Olympian on my bike. Well, that didn’t happen. Just because I said so, didn’t make it so.
Most people have never heard of Adonijah. He was the oldest son of King David and many thought to be heir apparent. In the above verse he said that he would be king after King David. He rode around like a king, having fifty men and chariots. He had the support of King David’s military commander as well as King David’s priest. Everything was set, right?
Wrong. Of all the sons of King David, Adonijah was the logical choice. Yet, God’s choice was a much younger brother born to the woman whose first husband King David had murdered. What? That is simply not logical. God would never do that, would He?
God’s ways are not our ways. Just as me thinking and speaking about being an Olympian didn’t make it so, Adonijah thinking and speaking about being king didn’t make it so. God’s plan was that Solomon, Bathsheba’s son, would be king. After some interesting political intrigue, that is exactly what happened.
The most important thought and words that I should have, should always be based on what God wants. Anything else are just my thoughts and words and have very little to do with God’s plans and purposes.
Prayer: Lord, it is so easy to get caught up in what I want. It seems that the whole emphasis in our society is to encourage that. Yet, I know that what You want will always be the way to go. I trust Your plans and purposes for me, over mine. I submit to You.
