The whole story ...

Have you ever found yourself to have made a conclusion regarding something, only to find later that you didn't have the whole story told to you in the first place (only a partial, incomplete representation had been given to you). It was a bit like that for me tonight with the readings (Scriptures). And unless you are used to a reading plan like the "Life Journal Reading Plan" such as I use, you may not be aware that passages such as 1 & 2 Kings, coincide with 1 & 2 Chronicles to reveal the same accounts in history. Certainly my ignorance saw me at times neglect some of these passages because I didn't capture the significance of the lessons to be learnt, or I couldn't see past the detail of who belonged to which family and how long they reigned and what their reign was like (he did what was evil in the Lord's sight ..., he did what was pleasing in the Lord's sight ...). 

So, having read of the disastrous reign of King Manasseh, I thought here we go again. Another one of those King's given the privilege of leading a people who seemed to get it all wrong and affect the people in the process too:

2 Kings 21:16 (New Living Translation)

16 Manasseh also murdered many innocent people until Jerusalem was filled from one end to the other with innocent blood. This was in addition to the sin that he caused the people of Judah to commit, leading them to do evil in the Lord’s sight.

Well that was the incomplete picture I gleaned from 2 Kings until I turned over and read the following (missing element of the same story):

2 Chronicles 33:11-13 (New Living Translation)

11 So the Lord sent the commanders of the Assyrian armies, and they took Manasseh prisoner. They put a ring through his nose, bound him in bronze chains, and led him away to Babylon. 12 But while in deep distress, Manasseh sought the Lord his God and sincerely humbled himself before the God of his ancestors. 13 And when he prayed, the Lord listened to him and was moved by his request. So the Lord brought Manasseh back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh finally realized that the Lord alone is God!

Now I reckon that makes a whole lot of difference to the story. The fact that Manasseh comes to his senses, humbles himself before the Lord and repents of his past actions and leading of the people. Why does it make such a difference to me? Because it resembles "hope". Here is an account of someone in power, getting it totally wrong, leading others in the wrong direction too. And in these circumstances we tend to believe that is it, there is no hope for change, no possibility for a turn around, all is lost. But no!

I continue to be blown away with the amazing way that God speaks into the lives of people. No matter how much I may have given up on the possibility of change for someone's life, God doesn't, and I am so glad of that. I am glad the Lord continues to stretch my faith and challenge me to see more possibilities, more hope, more good. I so want to be a part of His plan for the people around me.