These posts are out of order I know. This one is from almost a month ago instead of yesterday:

I was reading the story of Manasseh in 2 Chronicles 33 and I have to admit, this is one of the few times when a story in the Bible really hit me in a bittersweet way. Manasseh became king when his father Hezekiah died at the age of twelve. He undid everything good his father had done and led the people of Israel astray. He burned his son, he consorted with mediums and necromancers, he was involved in worshiping Baal and Asherim, and he even put an idol in the house of God.

God got Manasseh’s attention in a personal way. The Assyrians came and took everything including him to Assyria. It says they led him with hooks and chains. While he was there he called on God and God restored him. Manasseh humbled himself and was able to return home.

Once he was there he tried to make amends for all his past evil. He destroyed all the idols he had made. He destroyed the high places; he removed the idols from the house of God. He even tried to get the people to follow God.  It was too late, the people kept following their own way and Manasseh lived until age seventy-seven seeing his people worship other gods. He died having burned his own children and realizing his sin. He got to see his people lost. His son Ammon ascended to the throne and undid all the good that Manasseh had tried to do after his repentance.

God is merciful and God is just. Just because we repent of our sin and come back to God does not mean all the damage we caused will be undone. Our hearts should break for those who are so lost and do so much evil, God is angry with them. Even if they repent and ask forgiveness, they will be saved because God is good, but they will bear the burden of seeing the results of their actions.

I can’t think of any other way to end this but to say God is good, in him we all should place our hope and our trust.