Something we all need to be reminded of from time to time is something called an attitude adjustment. We can read in the Bible out of 2 Chronicles 33:1-13 about just such an event.
Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. He did evil in the sight of the LORD according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD dispossessed before the sons of Israel. For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; he also erected altars for the Baals and made Asherim, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. He built altars in the house of the LORD of which the LORD had said, “My name shall be in Jerusalem forever.” For he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. He made his sons pass through the fire in the valley of Ben-hinnom; and he practiced witchcraft, used divination, practiced sorcery and dealt with mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger. Then he put the carved image of the idol which he had made in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will put My name forever; and I will not again remove the foot of Israel from the land which I have appointed for your fathers, if only they will observe to do all that I have commanded them according to all the law, the statutes and the ordinances given through Moses.” Thus Manasseh misled Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the sons of Israel. The LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention. Therefore the LORD brought the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria against them, and they captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze chains and took him to Babylon. When he was in distress, he entreated the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. When he prayed to Him, He was moved by his entreaty and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.
There is an important lesson to be learned from this passage and that is this: Even though Manasseh was on e the most vile reprobates you can think of, after God gave him an attitude adjustment, Manasseh repented of and turned completely away from the evil he had committed. The end result was the best Manasseh could have hoped for. God accepted him back. Sadly many of the same despicable acts that were mentioned in our text are being committed in this nation today, the sacrificing of children through abortion, the practicing of witchcraft, talking to the dead and idol worship just to name a few. Given the fact that there is no variation with God, as we can read in James 1:17, it will only be a matter of time before America receives a serious attitude adjustment.
The same lesson Manasseh learned in the Old Testament still applies to us today. As the Bible states in Hebrews 12:6 “Whom the Lord loves He chastens”. So if the Lord corrects you for doing wrong just remember He is giving you an attitude adjustment.
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