God is a mender, not a discarder. With Him, broken lives aren’t the end of the story. When we feel broken, useless and that we’ve gone too far away from the path that God wanted us to go down, there’s hope. God doesn’t give up on us. We’re never too broken for Him to restore. In Matthew 12:20 says: ‘A bruised reed he will not break, and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out.’ This is actually a quote from the prophet Isaiah (take a look at Isaiah 42). In this chapter, Isaiah is prophesying about Jesus. The ‘bruised reed’ represents people who feel weak and fragile, while the ‘smouldering wick’ represents people who have almost burnt out, their light is fading and their hope is nearly gone. Jesus doesn’t give up on us when we’re feeling like that, instead He works to gently restore us. He gives us the opportunity to start again, however badly we think we’ve failed Him. And the truth is that we all fail at some point. The Bible is full of people who failed. Abraham lied and put Sarah at risk. Jacob was a cheat and self-promoting con artist. Moses determined to do things his own way and ended up a fugitive. David cheated on his wife and betrayed a faithful friend. Peter turned his back on Christ. But God still used each of them. And He’ll use us too. He’s the God of unlimited grace. As long as we recognise our failures and desire to start again, He’ll begin the process of restoring us. No matter how broken we’re feeling today, let’s grasp that offer of a second chance.

What Now?

Do you know someone who feels like they’ve failed in some way? Today, share Matthew 12:20 with them, and remind them that God is the God of unlimited grace and second chances.