2 Chronicles tells us the story of Manasseh. He became king of Judah (the Southern Kingdom, when Israel was divided) at 12 years old. He was a bad, evil king. Manasseh rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had demolished, he erected altars to the Baals and made Asherah poles, he bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them, he built altars in the temple of the LORD and built altars to the stars, he sacrificed his children in the fire in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, practiced divination and witchcraft, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD. He was full of evil and idolatry and he led God's people into evil practices.
The Bible says the LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention.
So the LORD brought against them the Assyrian army, who took Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon.
In his distress Manasseh sought the Lord and humbled himself greatly.
There is such a happy ending to this story - God was moved by his prayer and brought him back to his kingdom. "Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is God." Manasseh removed the altars to the idols he had established and worshipped the Lord.
This idea is articulated by a song I've heard several times on the radio. I have been thinking about it a lot. There is so much truth to the lyrics, although the message is very counter-culture.
Blessings by Laura Story
We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?
We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
And all the while You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
And what if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise
When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can’t satisfy?
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?
The Bible says the LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention.
So the LORD brought against them the Assyrian army, who took Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon.
In his distress Manasseh sought the Lord and humbled himself greatly.
I think the loss of power and freedom and dignity were the greatest blessings Manasseh could have received.
There is such a happy ending to this story - God was moved by his prayer and brought him back to his kingdom. "Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is God." Manasseh removed the altars to the idols he had established and worshipped the Lord.
This idea is articulated by a song I've heard several times on the radio. I have been thinking about it a lot. There is so much truth to the lyrics, although the message is very counter-culture.
Blessings by Laura Story
We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?
We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
And all the while You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
And what if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise
When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home
Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can’t satisfy?
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?
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