August 23- 2 Chronicles 33:12

THE VERSE

And when Manasseh was in distress, he entreated the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.
~2 Chronicles 33:12

THE THOUGHT

Manasseh was by far the most evil king in Judah’s history. He set up idols in God’s holy temple, burned his own sons as offerings to the god Molech, and “shed very much innocent blood, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another.” 2 Kings says that “Manasseh led them astray to do more evil than the nations had done whom the LORD destroyed before the people of Israel.” Manasseh was a murderer and an idolater, a middle eastern Hitler who butchered his own people and dragged the entire nation into suicidal idolatry.

All of this makes what 2 Chronicles records all the more extraordinary. What we have here is perhaps the most dramatic conversion ever. The most evil king in Judah’s history, when faced with disaster, “humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.” He then followed through with genuine repentance, undoing his violence and idolatry and restoring worship of the true God.

From this example, and others in Scripture, we learn the nearly unbelievable extent of God’s mercy. “God was moved by his entreaty,” we are told, and all the murder and idolatry that Manasseh had perpetrated was taken from Manasseh’s account, and punished centuries later in Christ. From murderous Manasseh, to the thief on the cross, to Paul the chief of sinners, we learn this precious truth: “There is more mercy in Christ than there is sin in us.” So take heart, Christian: trust the omnipotent mercy of God to deal with your sin, repent and follow Him again.

THE PRAYER

Holy Father, Your mercy is humbling and uplifting. That you would save a sinner like me proves the great extent of Your grace. Truly, You are mighty to save. Make my life a living testament to the power of Your love, so that I may serve and follow You all my days.

EXTENDED READING

2 Kings 21:1-18
2 Chronicles 33:10-16
1 Timothy 1:12-17

THE QUOTE

“The truth is that we only learn to pray all the time everywhere after we have resolutely set about praying some of the time somewhere.” ~John Dalrymple

THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR

Esther 5-6
Proverbs 16:17-33
Luke 20:1-8
Titus 3:9-15