Manasseh, one of the kings of ancient Israel, followed the reign of Hezekiah, a godly ruler. He promoted all that Hezekiah had sought to abolish. Manasseh flagrantly turned his back on God by erecting altars to Baal and Ashtoreth, the gods of the fields and sexuality, respectively. He even offered his own sons as sacrifices to Molech, the god of fire. He promoted sorcery and divination and consulted mediums and witches. He murdered his own people and must have also been the one who ordered Isaiah to be sawed in two. If ever a person deserved judgment, Manasseh was the one.
But – are you ready for this? – this depraved, vile person repented! Here is the record: “But while in deep distress, Manasseh sought the Lord his God and cried out humbly to the God of his ancestors. And when he prayed, the Lord listened to him and was moved by his request for help. So the Lord let Manasseh return to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Manasseh had finally realized that the Lord alone is God!†(2 Chronicles 33:12-13 NLT). If I had had the power to hurl fire bolts from the sky during Manasseh’s time, I would have zapped this man with a few thousands bolts. But God, even though He had the power, didn’t do so. He forgave Manasseh instead.
Forgiving isn’t the natural thing to do. It’s possible only by God’s grace. And just as God forgave Manasseh, so will He forgive you. That’s why He also expects us to forgive others. Let Him keep score on your behalf. Forgive even as “God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you†(Ephesians 4:32 KJV).
Used with permission from Guidelines Philippines, Inc. To learn more about Guidelines and the ministry, please write to Box 4000, 1280 Makati City, Philippines or e-mail address box4000@guidelines.org. You may also visit our website at www.guidelines.org.