Today I want to share a message that the Lord has been ministering to me for months. It is a reminder of who God is when we fail, when we struggle, and when we feel unworthy.
The anchor for this message is found in Luke 15, where Jesus gives three parables—each one revealing the heart of God toward the lost:
A lost sheep (1 out of 100 or 1% lost)
A lost coin (1 out of 10 or 10% lost)
A lost son (1 out of 2 or 50% lost)
God searches, God waits, and God restores.
And what amazes me is why Jesus told these stories. People were criticizing Him for spending time with sinners and tax collectors. Instead of defending Himself, He revealed the Father’s heart.
God Pursues the Broken
Some believers live wonderfully disciplined lives. They get saved, and from that moment on, it seems like their walk with God is smooth and strong. But many of us have stumbled, struggled, and at times failed miserably.
Yet God remains merciful.
He doesn’t excuse sin, and He doesn’t want us to keep falling—but when we truly come back, He receives us.
The High and Holy God Lives With the Lowly
“For thus says the high and exalted One
Who lives forever, whose name is Holy:
‘I dwell on a high and holy place,
And also with the contrite and lowly of spirit
In order to revive the spirit of the lowly
And to revive the heart of the contrite.’”
— Isaiah 57:15 (NASB1995)
What an incredible contrast!
Heaven cannot contain His glory. He dwells in unapproachable light. He is the King of kings. Yet He chooses also to dwell in the heart of the one who repents.
The only door into that fellowship is humility. Pride is the very thing that caused Satan to fall. Pride still destroys lives today. But God is close to the broken and contrite.
Why God Allows Us to See Our Weakness
There were seasons in my life when I asked God:
“Why didn’t You stop me?”
“Why did You let me fail?”
God showed me three reasons.
1. So that the power is clearly from God, not me
“We have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves.”
— 2 Corinthians 4:7
If we never struggled, we would trust in discipline, willpower, and systems—not in God.
2. So we can understand and help others
When you’ve been delivered from something, you can really minister to someone going through it. Not with theory—but with compassion and lived experience.
God is forming counselors through former failures.
3. So He can display His restoring power
Jesus said of the blind man:
“It was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
— John 9:3
Sometimes God allows an “impossible” situation just so He can show the world what grace can do.
A Picture That Changed My Thinking
One day I felt deeply discouraged about my past—how patchy and inconsistent it had been. I wished my Christian walk looked like the lives of others.
Then God gave me this picture:
Imagine a rich man who owns every car. One more new car brings him no joy.
But imagine he finds a broken, rusted, worthless vehicle. He lovingly restores it—piece by piece. When it finally runs, that brings him joy.
God whispered to my heart:
“That’s how I feel about you.”
He delights to restore. Not because we are worth less—
but because His workmanship shines most beautifully in redeemed brokenness.
What This Means For Us
Let me leave you with four practical responses:
1. Trust God daily—don’t trust your strength
Your righteousness will fail. His grace never fails.
2. Return to God quickly
If you’ve fallen, don’t wait. The enemy wants delay. God wants restoration now.
3. Let repentance be real
Saying “sorry” is not repentance. True repentance:
Is appalled by the sin, not just the consequences
Makes corrections and restitution when possible
Comes without entitlement—only trusting mercy
Results in changed thinking and behavior
4. Take one obedient step at a time
God’s Word is a lamp—not a floodlight (Psalm 119:105).
You rarely get to see the whole road—just the next step.
Obey what you already know, and more light will come.
Closing Encouragement
Your past does not disqualify you.
Your failures do not surprise God.
Your broken places are not wasted.
Say with Samuel:
“Ebenezer—thus far the Lord has helped me.”
If you come to Him in humility and truth, you will find:
A Father who runs to meet you
A Shepherd who carries you home
A Savior who restores what was lost
Amen.
Let us return to Him with true repentance—and walk forward in His mercy.