Monday June, 28 2021 Devotional

"Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem... And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the despicable practices of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel." - 2 Kings‬ ‭21:1-2‬

"But they did not listen, and Manasseh led them astray to do more evil than the nations had done whom the Lord destroyed before the people of Israel." - ‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭21:9‬

The Canaanites whom God had driven out before Israel, were characterized by such moral depravity that God had decided they had to be removed from the earth. Yet here we read that Manasseh, the son of the good king Hezekiah who became king in his place, led the people of Judah into even more evil than what the Canaanites had been doing.

How is it possible that a good and god-fearing nation could become so corrupted in a single generation that it would sink to such depravity? We wonder how it could be, and yet in fairly recent history we saw how the nation of Germany, with a long Christian history, turned into the monstrous Nazi regime in a single generation.

The Bible reveals that there are always dark forces at work and there are always people ready to be used by them, usually unwittingly. The prayers and the faithful lives of God’s own hold them at bay, and eventually as History moves along its course, things will deteriorate until the Lord Jesus returns.

The lessons of Bible History give us the key to understanding World History and future History as well. God is sovereign; we are called to be faithful in our time and place, and so be part of His plan for His glory.

Father in Heaven, I know that You have placed me here in this time and place for Your own good purpose. You have given me a destiny to fulfill and equipped me uniquely to fulfill it. Keep me close to You, whatever happens. Walk me through this day by Your grace, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Pastor Dan Giles