What A Reversal

Are there people you see as being so corrupt that they stand outside the circle of any hope? Maybe the story of Manasseh will help change your mind.

Manasseh was one the worst kings to ever rule over Judah. He built altars to foreign deities and established the worship of pagan gods right in the temple of the Lord. He even sacrificed his sons in homage to them. Manasseh was bad. Really bad.

As a result of his apostasy, God allowed Assyrian troops to invade the nation. They captured Manasseh and, with a hook in his nose, drug him off to Babylon. At this point in the story, I’m cheering, “Yay! Manasseh, you’re getting exactly what you deserve!”

But that’s not how God saw it.

From his lonely prison cell, Manasseh cried out to God. He had reached the bottom and the bottom caused him to look up. His repentance touched God’s heart. Manasseh was released from captivity, and when he returned to Jerusalem, he spent the rest of his life trying to repair all the damage he had done.

This must stand as one of the greatest reversals in history! If Manasseh can turn around, maybe all those folks we deem hopeless can too.

If there are people whom you feel couldn’t recognize the truth if it hit them in the face, take heart. Don’t stop praying for their redemption. Maybe they might someday, like Manasseh, humble themselves greatly before God. You never know when another great reversal is on the way!

Lord thank you for your great love and mercy. We pray for all those people we deem hopeless and ask you to meet them in your way and your time. You are the God of the impossible. May we never forget that. Amen.

Go Deeper — Is there anyone you have written off, thinking they are beyond redemption? Why not pray that they might understand the depth of God's love for them?