Question: Have you ever felt so “dirty” and evil because of the many sins that you’ve committed? Have you ever felt at one point that you are hopeless and beyond rescue?
If you answered those questions with a “yes,” then this reflection is especially for you.
I’d like to share with you the life of King Manasseh. The life he lived was an evil one.
Here are some of the evil things that he did:
- The Lord spoke to him, yet he paid no attention.
- He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshipped them.
- He also erected altars to the Baals and made Asherah poles.
- He built altars in the temple of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “My Name will remain in Jerusalem forever.
- He practiced divination and witchcraft, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists
Last but not the least, he even sacrificed his children in the fire.
Friends, at this point, you’ve probably already realized how the wrongs that you’ve done pale in comparison when compared to the things that King Manasseh did.
The things that King Manasseh did was so evil, that they even “out-sinned” the nations that the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites (2 Chronicles 33:9).
Let me highlight the line… “they even ‘out-sinned’ the nations that the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.”
Now that’s quite disturbing, isn’t it?
I mean, think about it. The Lord destroyed the nations before Israel because of the sins that they committed. And yet, King Manasseh led the people of Judah and Jerusalem astray to the point where they even “out-sinned” these nations.
Friends, that’s A LOT OF SIN, don’t you agree?
You would think that King Manasseh is beyond rescue because of the sins that he committed, and the sins that he caused others to commit by leading them astray.
However…
Despite the wrongs that King Manasseh did, when he humbled himself and prayed to the Lord, the Lord showed mercy to him and heard his prayers (2 Chronicles 33:112-13).
It was during this time that King Manasseh knew that the Lord is God.
King Manasseh’s life was then transformed.
He started to get rid of the foreign gods and restored the Lord’s altar (among others).
In times when you feel that you are beyond saving, remember this:
- Always remember that God’s love endures forever.
- Always remember that no matter how sinful and dirty we feel we are, we should NEVER underestimate the vastness of God’s mercy and love for us.
- Always remember that the Lord is pleased when we come to Him with a broken and a contrite heart.
- DO NOT let the devil deceive you into thinking that you are beyond help. There is no amount of sin that we can commit that can ever trump or outperform the sacrifice that our Lord Jesus Christ did on the cross.
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Photo courtesy – © Michael Flippo / Dollar Photo Club