I Have Found My Manasseh
I have found my Manasseh.
Hang with me friend, as I unpack this.
Many of you know just how important music is to me. Not only do I enjoy the process of making music with my flute, but I also enjoy listening to music being made. Feeling closer to God through times of worship.
The past two years have been full of healing in a variety of areas. As I’ve said in my recent book - “Sometimes we have to look back in order to look ahead.” I’ve looked back with grace so that I can look ahead with hope.
I have found my Manasseh.
I heard a song play recently. It captured me immediately and reminded me of the journey I have been on for the past few years. God’s faithfulness is more evident than ever before.
Anna Golden speaks this in her song, Manasseh - “In all my broken places you’re rewriting what’s been written.”
This is what God does.
Anna shared the backstory for her song and told one of the familiar stories of the Old Testament. The story of Joseph. Many of you may remember that Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers. He was put in prison and manipulated by the king’s wife. A series of unfortunate encounters, yet Joseph never turned from God.
No matter the difficulties Joseph faced, he remained focused on God. When Joseph had children, he named his first child Manasseh. We see in Genesis 41 that the word “Manasseh” is translated to mean “to forget.”
Joseph left his past in the past. We don’t read exactly how Joseph handled everything. I’m sure it was far from easy.
Because Joseph placed his faith in the Lord, he trusted that things would work out. Even if it wasn’t anything like what he thought it would look like.
There’s power when we are able to heal from painful seasons. There’s a sense of freedom that comes with healing. There’s a huge weight lifted when we choose to forgive while trusting solely in God. Because we all know it’s not easy.
I have found my Manasseh.
I want you to find yours. I can’t tell you that it’s going to be easy. I can’t tell you that years of pain or heartbreak will vanish with just one breath. I can’t tell you exactly what you need to do.
The one thing I can tell you is that nothing is too much for God. You will never be too far gone for Him. God is and will always be in the business of restoring what has been broken. Nothing is wasted with Jesus.
Find your Manasseh today.
Titus 3:4-7 CSB
But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us—not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy—through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. He poured out his Spirit on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior so that, having been justified by his grace, we may become heirs with the hope of eternal life.
1 Timothy 1:12-17
I give thanks to Christ Jesus our Lord who has strengthened me, because he considered me faithful, appointing me to the ministry— even though I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an arrogant man. But I received mercy because I acted out of ignorance in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them. But I received mercy for this reason, so that in me, the worst of them, Christ Jesus might demonstrate his extraordinary patience as an example to those who would believe in him for eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
