According to our church bulletin yesterday, the first hymn was #407, How Firm a Foundation. But when I turned to that number in the hymnal it wasn’t the right song. So I tried 704—maybe the digits got reversed? Nope. How about 497—because 9 is next to zero? Nada. Okay, I give up. I looked up the the correct number in the back of the book. It was 408. The bulletin was so close—just one page off!
So I started thinking about, “close, but not quite,” moments in the Bible. Remember good King Asa? He “conducted himself well before God, reviving the ways of his ancestor David.” – 1 Kings 15:11 (MSG) The Bible says Asa kicked the male shrine prostitutes out of Judah, and destroyed all the pagan idols the evil kings before him made. He even unseated his own grandmother, from her royal position, because of her idol worship! – 2 Chronicles 15:16
King Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and was fully committed to God all his life. But there’s an unfortunate footnote: “He didn’t get rid of all the local sex-and-religion shrines.” —1 Kings 15:14 (MSG) Meaning, he kicked out the prostitutes, but left their pagan temples standing.
You’ve probably heard the saying, “Close only counts with horseshoes and hand grenades.” Yet kings Asa, Solomon and David, who were all, “close, but not quite,” were beloved by God. This must be partly because, though each of them was imperfect, they respected the Lord and kept trying.
This is the one I esteem: He who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.”
Isaiah 66:2 (NIV)
A pastor friend of mine has a favorite saying: “Obedience is when you DO.” Kind reader, we can think about , talk and plan to do what’s right in the eyes of God, but if we don’t take REAL action little will change.
It won’t happen if you don’t make it happen
Pastor Ron Bracy
For look at King Asa from a little different angle, please see Repairing the Altar by Chris Hendrix, of Devotions by Chris.
🙏❤️ prayers and love.
Davids Daily Dose 
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