2 Chronicles 33:1-9 – “Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem.  2 But he did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.  3 For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; he raised up altars for the Baals, and made wooden images; and he worshiped all the host of heaven and served them.  4 He also built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem shall My name be forever.” 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord.  6 Also he caused his sons to pass through the fire in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom; he practiced soothsaying, used witchcraft and sorcery, and consulted mediums and spiritists.  He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger.  7 He even set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever; 8 and I will not again remove the foot of Israel from the land which I have appointed for your fathers—only if they are careful to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses.” 9 So Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel.”

I realize that’s a lot of scripture for a short devotional, but it’s necessary.  Today, as I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, I was encouraged to pray for those charged with leadership.   I was also encouraged by God’s incredible, immeasurable, and unfathomable love and mercy.

In 2 Chronicles 33, we have the life, acts, and progression of Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah.   Manasseh became king at 12 years of age.   He reigned for 55 years.   In verse 2, we read that his beginning was wicked.  He rebuilt the altars Hezekiah had torn down.   He rebuilt the shrines and idols of the gods of the land.   He practiced worship of the hosts of heaven in the two courts of the House of God.  (v. 4).   He, therefore, defiled the temple and even built altars in the temple to worship false gods.

However, it worsened, as we see in verse 6.    He made his son pass through the fire (human sacrifice).    He practiced “augury and soothsaying and sorcery, and inquired of the Chaldeans and familiar spirits…”   He was the epitome of evil.

Then, in verse 11, something happened.   The king of Assyria came and captured him and carried him captive to Babylon.   In verse 12, we read, “But when he was in distress, he prayed before the LORD his God and reverenced greatly the LORD GOD of his fathers.” Trouble brought him to his knees.     In verse 13, we find that God listened to his prayers.  “And he prayed before the LORD, and he (God) heard his voice and his prayer and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom.  THEN Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.”

In verse 14, we read, “Now after this…”    In his transformed condition, he took action.  He began national restoration.  He built the outer walls of the city for national defense.   He took away the strange gods and idols from the House of God.  He built an altar to the LORD.

My encouragement was that if God changed Manasseh, the wicked king, he can change leaders today.   The Holy Spirit reminded me of God’s incredible love and mercy. Sometimes, it takes a dire situation to get our attention.  That is true individually and nationally.

God always hears prayers of repentance and grants mercy.   What we do with that mercy is up to us.   As some in Scripture, we can turn back to sin after God came through for them, or, as Manasseh, we can live differently and take righteous action.

I was impressed to fervently pray for those in leadership.  No matter how wicked, God’s grace can penetrate any heart.  God’s grace is immeasurable, and His mercy is everlasting!  We need to be careful not to cause Him to send distress to get our attention.  He invites us in now, so let’s surrender all now!

Let the peace of God that passes all human understanding fill your hearts and minds today!