One Thing Brings the Lost Back to God
- Henley Samuel
- 20 hours ago
- 6 min read
April 05, 2026
There is one thing that has the power to bring a wandering heart back home. Not guilt. Not condemnation. Not a list of rules or a sermon about consequences. Just one thing. The goodness of God. That simple, profound truth sits at the heart of everything we are going to explore today, and by the time you finish reading this, I believe something will shift inside you.
Whether you feel far from God right now, or you know someone who has drifted away, this message is for you.
From Blessing to Barrenness, and Back Again
Let us begin in the book of Ruth. Naomi and her family started in Bethlehem, a name that literally means "the house of bread," the house of provision and blessing. But somewhere along the way, they left that place and settled in Moab, a land that Scripture associates with a curse (Deuteronomy 23:3). They walked out of blessing and into barrenness. Naomi lost her husband. She lost both her sons. She lost everything.
Does that sound familiar? Sometimes people leave the place of God's blessing, not always dramatically, but gradually, one compromise at a time, one disappointment at a time, until they find themselves far from where they started.
But then something happened. Ruth chapter 1, verse 6 tells us:
"Then she arose with her daughters-in-law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread." Ruth 1:6
She heard that God had visited His people. She heard there was bread again in Bethlehem. And that news was enough to make her arise and go back.
Notice what triggered Naomi's return. It was not a warning about Moab. It was not a sermon about her failures. It was the report of God's goodness that stirred her to rise up. That is the power of the goodness of God. It calls people home.
God is a Generous Father
Some people hesitate to talk about God's provision as if doing so makes the message shallow. But the Bible does not hesitate at all. Look at what 1 Chronicles 29:12 declares:
"Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all." 1 Chronicles 29:12
And Psalm 112:3 adds:
"Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever." Psalm 112:3
God is not embarrassed about blessing His children. Think about it from a parent's perspective. How many of you, as a parent, want to bless your children? Of course you do. You provide them with food, shelter, the best you can offer. Jesus himself said that if your child asks for bread, you would not give them a stone. How much more, then, will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him?
When Naomi heard that God was providing bread in Bethlehem, she did not hesitate. She arose. And that is what the goodness of God does. It does not just change what is inside you. It changes what you do. It gets you moving.
The Son Who Came Back to Himself
This same pattern plays out with breathtaking clarity in Luke chapter 15, the story of the prodigal son. The young man took his inheritance early, wasted it all, and ended up so desperate that he was longing to eat the food that pigs were eating. His situation was as low as it could go.
But then verse 17 says something remarkable:
"And when he came to himself he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!" Luke 15:17
He did not return because he feared punishment. He returned because he remembered his father's generosity. Even the servants in his father's house had more than enough. That memory of goodness broke something open in him, and he made a decision:
"I will arise and go to my father." Luke 15:18
And he did arise. He went. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and ran to him. The father did not wait. He did not make the son prove himself first. He felt compassion, embraced him, and kissed him. That is the heart of God toward you right now.
The goodness of God does not wait for you to clean yourself up. It runs toward you.
You Are a Son, Not a Servant
The returning son had rehearsed a speech. He planned to say, "I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired servants." He thought the best he could hope for was a servant's position. But his father interrupted that plan entirely.
The father called for three things to be brought to his son: a robe, a ring, and shoes.
The robe represents righteousness.
As Ephesians 4:24 reminds us,
"To put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. " Ephesians 4:24
You do not wear a robe of guilt. You do not wear a robe of shame. You wear the righteousness of Christ.
The ring represents authority. You are an ambassador of God in this world.
2 Corinthians 5:19 tells us that we have been given the ministry of reconciliation. You carry authority in His name.
"God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation." 2 Corintians 5:19
The shoes represent the peace of the gospel. Just as Ephesians 6 describes shoes as part of the full armor of God, His peace protects you as you walk through this world.
Righteousness. Authority. Protection. That is your identity in Christ. That is what the Father gives you the moment you come back to His presence.
And then the father called for the fattened calf to be killed and a celebration to begin. That fattened calf points us forward to Jesus himself, the one who was sacrificed so that there could be abundance and celebration for all of us. When Jesus said "It is finished" on the cross, He paid the full price so that we could feast in the Father's presence.
Goodness That Changes Everything
The reason Jesus drew crowds was not because He preached condemnation. Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear Him. Why? Because He demonstrated the goodness of God. He healed. He restored. He provided. Acts 10:38 captures it plainly:
"God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." Acts 10:38
When the church lives in the goodness of God and demonstrates it to the world, people take notice. When they see joy they cannot explain, favor they cannot manufacture, and healing they cannot buy, they start asking questions. And those questions open the door for the gospel.
The goodness of God is not just for your personal comfort. It is your testimony. It is your witness. It is the very thing that draws the lost back home.
Conclusion
The goodness of God is not a concept to be admired from a distance. It is a living, breathing reality that has the power to lift you out of your own Moab and bring you back to the house of bread. Naomi arose. The prodigal son arose. And today, whatever has kept you sitting in a far country, God's goodness is calling you to arise too. You are not too far gone. You are not too broken. You are not disqualified. The moment you remember who your Father is and how generously He provides, something shifts. The robe is ready. The ring is waiting. The shoes are prepared. Your Father is already running toward you. All you have to do is take the first step home.
Reflect on This
Is there an area of your life where you have settled in "Moab," far from the place of God's blessing? What would it look like for you to arise and return today?
When you think about sharing your faith with others, are you leading with God's goodness and generosity, or with something else? How might the message change if you began with His goodness?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I thank You that Your goodness is what draws me back to You. I declare that I am Your child, not Your servant, clothed in righteousness, carrying authority, and walking in Your peace. I receive the provision You have prepared for me. Let Your goodness be visible in my life so that those around me are drawn to ask about the God I serve. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Key Takeaways
The goodness of God, not guilt or condemnation, is what leads people back to repentance.
Both Naomi in Ruth 1 and the prodigal son in Luke 15 returned to God when they heard or remembered His generous provision.
God is a generous Father who desires to bless His children with riches, honour, and strength.
When you return to God, He restores your identity: righteousness (the robe), authority (the ring), and peace.
The goodness of God in your life is not just personal blessing; it is a living testimony that draws others toward Him.
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To dive deeper into this powerful message, watch the full sermon in English on our YouTube video below.
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