In his affliction

Therefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze fetters, and carried him off to Babylon. Now when he was in affliction, he implored the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, and prayed to Him; and He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God. - 2 Chronicles 33:11-13

You would think that as bad as Manasseh was God would have ignored his pleas for help, but God was still there for him when things went disastrously bad. The Lord allowed the Assyrian army to come and take Manasseh into captivity. These were vicious people. When they took captives they bound them hand and foot and then they used flesh hooks to keep them from escaping.

So now, when Manasseh ‘was in affliction,’ he implored God and humbled himself and prayed and when he did all that the Lord listened and heard him and restored him back to Jerusalem.

It was only then when Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.

Just think of all the trouble he could have saved himself if he had obeyed God from the very start. God is gracious and patience and full of mercy. He is the Father waiting for His erring children to return.

When I look at Manasseh and all that he had done and remember that God was still willing to restore him I am encouraged that God is surely waiting there for me when I slip and fall. He is still my Father and I am still His child.

But think of the problems we could save ourselves if we didn't wander in the first place.