But God . . .

Once Upon A Time ...

there lived a little boy named

Manasseh.

Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years.

Just a little boy,

but not such a good little boy

because

Once Upon A Time...

He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.

He sacrificed his children in the fire (6)

And

Manasseh led Judah and the people of Jerusalem astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites....

BUT

The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people,

But

they paid no attention.

Once Upon A Time...

So the Lord brought against them the army commanders of the king of Assyria,

who took Manasseh prisoner,

put a hook in his nose,

bound him with bronze shackle sand took him to Babylon.

Once Upon A Time...

From a little boy to a man with a hook in his nose.

He reaped what he sowed.

I bet no one ever put a hook in your nose

and took you prisoner

but

have you ever felt like that~

doing what you want to do

when you want to do it

knowing that it isn't what you really should be doing

but in the moment

it is the only thing that you want to do

so you do it..

anyway and you are immediately

hooked?

But God is still God.

He still calls your name

He calls you to come.

But

How do I come as I am in the midst of what I have done and continue to do?

So instead

I will continue doing "whatever"

and continue to

be a prisoner in my own skin

even though

Someone

is

calling me to

Come to Him....

But God showed His great love for

_______________________ (PUT your name)

by sending Christ to die for

_______________________ (PUT your name)

while

_______________________ (PUT your name)

were (was ) still (a) sinner(s). Romans 5:8

"Were still sinners"~

in the midst of

no matter what your whatever is,

no questions asked

covering every ...

that follows your

Once Upon A Time.

Hmm...

The Manasseh in my story

when I was not such a good little girl or

when I continue to be a not so a good little grown up.

How about the not so good little boy/girl or that not so little good grown up in you?

But that isn't how his story ends

and that isn't how my or your story has to end,

no matter what you or I have or haven't done

or will do again

or

no matter what someone has done or not done to you or for you~

because read how

God finished Manasseh's

Once upon a time...

In his (Manasseh) distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. And when he prayed to Him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so He brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom.

Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God...

Then he restored the altar of the Lord and sacrificed fellowship offerings and thank offerings on it, and told Judah to

serve the Lord, the God of Israel. 2 Chronicles 33

And that is how his story ends

his

Once Upon A Time

is changed in an instant.

How about yours, whatever

. . .

follows your Once Upon a Time?

Your once upon a time moment

when you did what you wish you didn't do

or when

someone did something that you wish they didn't do,

causing such pain

in your life.

Well

Put Me in His Story

In _______________'s (PUT your name)

distress

________________ (PUT your name)

sought the favor of the Lord

________________'s (PUT your name)

God and humbled

himself/herself ...

And when

________________(PUT your name)

prayed to Him, the Lord was moved by

____________________'s (PUT your name)

entreaty and listened to

_______________________ (PUT your name)

plea; so He brought

_______________________(PUT your name)

back...

Then

_______________________ (PUT your name)

knew that the Lord is God.

Hmm...

In an instant

Forgiven

no more hooks in the nose

keeping one a prisoner.

To now live

Happily Every After

just as Manasseh continued his new life to the very end...

Manasseh rested with his ancestors and was buried in his palace.

And Amon his son succeeded him as king.

Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years.

Hmm

Now Amon's story, that is another

Once Upon A Time....

He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done.

But

unlike his father Manasseh, he did not humble himself before the Lord;

OOPS....

now that is a story that you will not want to

Put yourself in....

So let's

stick to the original script

And

Put Me in His Story