Thurs.’s Devo - Change and Restoration

Read: 2 Kings 21; 2 Chronicles 33-34:7; Jeremiah 1-2
Manasseh means “causing to forget”. What a fitting name for a man who did such evil things against the Lord, only to be led by a ring through his nose into exile. There he repented and returned and changed everything. He went from being the worse idolator to the most repentant. He reminds me of Saul in the New Testament who became Paul. God did cause him to forget his sin and change his ending. Sadly, his son, Amon didn’t follow in his godly steps, but in his evil ones. He was killed by his own officials after two years. Josiah became the king at the young age of eight. He is one of the only kings who is compared to David in his devotion to the Lord. At the age of sixteen, Josiah began seeking the Lord. At the age of twenty, he did massive reform to the land to turn it back to the Lord. The next year, God sent Jeremiah to stand up against the kingdoms that stood against God. He was to prophecy blessing to the kingdoms God wanted raised and curses to the ones God wanted brought down. The first place he was sent was Jerusalem. Jerusalem had traded Jehovah God for gods that had no power. They had given up living water for no water - life for death.
Next, Jeremiah went to Israel and spoke against their sin. They had made alliances with Egypt and Assyria, the very nations that God had brought them out of. Had they not forgotten that they were once slaves there? How did this happen? This was God’s question to them.
Where the story of Manasseh and Josiah are so inspiring, the nation of Judah and Israel was in disturbing turbulence and sin. It reminds me of what is going on in our nation. God is birthing a revival that is sweeping our nation, but the powers of hell are being roused in defiance. We need to open our spiritual eyes and see the clash of kingdoms that is taking place. We need to repent and change our gods to the God in every area of our lives. Repentance begins in the house of God. God will win and we will be blessed!
Lord, help us to repent of our selfish petty ways and humble ourselves and pray. You are our only hope and you are good!