Anglican Devotional 26 August 2026 By The Daily Fountain of the Church Of Nigeria

TOPIC: Righting The Wrong

READ: 1 Kings 1:22-30

22 While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived.

23 And the king was told, “Nathan the prophet is here.” So he went before the king and bowed with his face to the ground.

24 Nathan said, “Have you, my lord the king, declared that Adonijah shall be king after you, and that he will sit on your throne?

25 Today he has gone down and sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep. He has invited all the king’s sons, the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest. Right now they are eating and drinking with him and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’

26 But me your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he did not invite.

27 Is this something my lord the king has done without letting his servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”

28 Then King David said, “Call in Bathsheba.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before him.

29 The king then took an oath: “As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble,

30 I will surely carry out this very day what I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel: Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place.”

THE MESSAGE:

Nathan the Prophet came in later as was arranged and asked the king if he had sanctioned the ascendancy of Adonijah as next king without hinting him. The king had to invite Bathsheba and reassured her that he still stood by his promise to make Solomon the next king after him. Thank God David was still alive to correct things.

Some people take advantage of situations to achieve their selfish ambition. Adonijah may have felt that since his father was no longer active in governance, he could manipulate the system or situation and achieve his desire. However, he had not counted on the way events turned out. Imagine if David had died, his succession could have turned bloody. Many communities today are still struggling to have the next traditional ruler after the demise of the last occupant because of not following things properly. Some have been in court for years while some have resorted to elimination of perceived opponents. May we pray that God will intervene where such crisis may exist today!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, help me to control my ambitions and desires.