The God of Manasseh

• 2 Chronicles 33:1-17
• 2 Chronicles 33:20

To read the account of King Manasseh of Judah is absolutely amazing in regards to the mercy of God. Manasseh literally did everything he could to provoke God to fury. Reading about his faithlessness and sin toward God is like watching a fatal train crash in slow motion. I found myself actually getting angry at him myself as it was told of him going so far as burning his own sons as sacrifices to idols. How could God ever forgive someone for something so vile?! Besides that, he “led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray, to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the people of Israel.”  Seriously??  God spoke to them and they refused to listen and “he did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.”

And yet…

There’s that phrase…and yet. It often follows when talking about God. I can read about the horrible way God’s people act and of how faithless we can be, then follows, and yet.

Manasseh was entirely faithless…completely faithless, AND YET God was faithful. The following is a remarkable passage in light of Manasseh’s depth of depravity:

12 And when he was in distress, he entreated the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers.13 He prayed to him, and God was moved by his entreaty and heard his plea and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God. (emphasis mine)

Look at that! God was moved by his entreaty and forgave him. Is there really no depths from which God cannot restore? Is there really no one too far gone that God cannot bring back. If God can bring Manasseh to restoration after such amazingly depraved actions, surely there is hope for anyone.  There is hope for us.

The Lord, my God, is an alarmingly merciful God. Yes, a God of justice and judgment, but of mercy and grace. Thank you, Father, for your abundant and sufficient loving-kindness. Your mercy endures forever!

True Friends

A friend of mine posted this on his Facebook this morning.  It resonated with me so much, I have to post it here, with all my heart:

It’s the people that disappoint you most in life that really make you appreciate the loyal people that don’t. To those who are true, and you know who you are, thank you!

This is especially true when you are the leader of people.  I recently heard a very well-known, respected leader make the following statement:

“There is no way you are going to be able to please everyone, so make sure you anger the right people.”

Good advice.

I love this verse, don’t you?

“Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” ~Matthew 7:3

Drew’s “School” Pics

Just showing off my Little Man. Drew had his picture taken at the Parent’s Day Out he goes to.  I’m sure I’ll put the other pose on here, too.  I was so proud of it, I had to share it with the world.    I love that boy!

Thank you, Lord, for both my boys!

A Letter From Todd

I just received this from my friend, Todd MacDonald, who many of you know (and have been praying for) has been undergoing treatment for incurable mesothelioma in his abdomen.  Did I mention it’s incurable?

Hello everyone,

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come
to an end” (Lamentations 3:22).

I received some very good news this morning! My second surgery has
been postponed indefinitely. While this morning’s CT scan did reveal
the smallest bit of residual cancer in my lower pelvis, it is of such
little concern to my doctors that at this point surgery no longer
seems necessary. In fact, the abnormality observed is so small that
it’s hard to know for sure whether or not it’s even cancer.

In three months I will return to Bethesda for another CT scan. It will
be determined at that time what additional treatment, if any, is
needed. For now, we are done.

So join me in praising God for healing. Join me in praising him for
his mercy. But join me too in praising him for turning an ugly thing
like cancer into a beautiful means of grace. For truthfully, as I
stand in faith now – on the other side of this valley – dying seems to
me a little less scary. And the comforts of this life seem a little
less important. My cancer may well return. I am content with this.
Health, wealth, prosperity – these come and go. I have Jesus. He is
ENOUGH.

And thank you once again for your faithful prayers and your steady
words of encouragement over these last nine months or so. Your faith lifted me when my own was weak!

Love in Christ,

Todd

Man, don’t tell me there is no God and He isn’t in control.  He doesn’t always choose to heal (and, like Todd said, it could come back someday), but sometimes He does to bring glory to Himself through a life He’s not done with here…and sometimes He does it just because He can.

For more on Todd, visit Todd MacDonald Music