…you hold my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
leading me to a glorious destiny.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
I desire you more than anything on earth.
My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
but God remains the strength of my heart;
he is mine forever.
Manasseh…did what was evil in the LORD’s sight…
He rebuilt the pagan shrines…
constructed altars for the images of Baal
and set up Asherah poles.
He also bowed before all the powers of the heavens
and worshiped them.
He built pagan altars in the Temple of the LORD…
Manasseh also sacrificed his own sons in the fire…
He practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft,
and he consulted with mediums and psychics.
He did much that was evil in the LORD’s sight…
Manasseh even took a carved idol he had made
and set it up in God’s Temple…
The LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people,
but they ignored all his warnings.
So the LORD sent the commanders of the Assyrian armies,
and they took Manasseh prisoner…
But while in deep distress,
Manasseh sought the LORD his God
and sincerely humbled himself before the God of his ancestors.
And when he prayed,
the LORD listened to him
and was moved by his request
So the LORD brought Manasseh back…
2 Chronicles 33:1-3, 4-7, 10-13
I am leaving you with a gift—
peace of mind and heart.
And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.
So don’t be troubled or afraid.
Remember what I told you:
I am going away, but I will come back to you again…
I alone am God,
the First and the Last.
It was my hand that laid the foundations of the earth,
my right hand that spread out the heavens above.
When I call out the stars,
they all appear in order.
Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth!
Sing about the glory of his name!
Tell the world how glorious he is.
I will praise you as long as I live,
lifting up my hands to you in prayer.
…there is no other God but me,
a righteous God and Savior…
…Every knee will bend to me,
and every tongue will confess allegiance to me.
…This is what the LORD says:
Do not be afraid!
Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army,
for the battle is not yours,
but God’s.
Tomorrow, march out against them…
But you will not even need to fight.
Take your positions,
then stand still and watch the LORD’s victory.
He is with you…
Do not be afraid of discouraged.
Go out against them tomorrow,
for the LORD is with you!
…O LORD, God of our ancestors,
you alone are the God who is in heaven.
You are ruler of all the kingdoms of the earth.
You are powerful and mighty;
no one can stand against you!
…Whenever we are faced with any calamity…
…we can come to stand in your presence…
…We can cry out to you to save us,
and you will hear us and rescue us.
O our God, won’t you stop them?
We are powerless against this mighty army
that is about to attack us.
We do not know what to do,
but we are looking to you for help.
The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth
in order to strengthen those
whose hearts are fully committed to him…
