And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God.

2 Chronicles 33:13 (NIV)

What will it take for you to believe in the power of God? When Jesus walked the earth so many people wanted to see signs and wonders to believe. Even the apostle Thomas, someone who had followed Jesus during His earthly ministry, who had seen the sight of the blind restored, the leprous made clean, deaf ears opened, and the dead raised, said, when He was told that Jesus was alive, after having seen Him die, “unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe” (John 20:25 NIV).

I have heard it said that God will draw us to Him in the easiest way that we will come. When I read about King Manasseh today, someone who had done more evil than all of those who had come before him, I was surprised that he eventually submitted to God. However, all of us, one way or another, will, one day, bow before God and acknowledge Him as Lord (Romans 14:11). Some of us bow before the Lord today, acknowledging that He is Lord of all things. That there is no one greater than He. That He is good. He is kind. He is love. He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He is our only hope for salvation and deliverance in this dark world.

It took me 37 years of walking in the darkness of depression, and desiring death more often than I wanted to live, and seeing everything that I had thought I had built up, looking like it was going to fall down, to see the love that God had for me. When God spoke to Manasseh, the word tells us that he and the people, “paid no attention,” so God “put a hook in his nose, bound him with bronze shackles, and took him to Babylon (2 Chronicles 33:10-11 NIV).

What has you hooked? How are you bound and in shackles today? All of us, without God, walk in some sort of bondage. What are you using to ease the pain? God sees you. He knows your pain. He knows your desire to be freed. His hands are open to you. He’s calling your name. Won’t you listen with your heart and accept His gift of salvation today?

Please pray with me:

Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer then congratulations! You are on the first step of a brand new life. Allow me to be the first to welcome you to my family, the family of God. There are abundant resources available online for new Christians. You can visit here for more information on what to do next. You can also leave me a comment and I’ll do my best to help you on the next step of this incredible journey.

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