Live A Life Worth Remembering – By Thomas J. Koester

“The key to immortality is first living a life worth remembering.” —Bruce Lee

This article is dedicated to my friend and colleague of 34 years, Jahn Miller. Jahn was a man who lived a life worth remembering. His entire career and life were about bringing fairness and justice to those in need. Jahn was a voice and advocate for those victimized by impersonal corporations, which care more for shareholders than their policyholders.

Over his vast 45-year career, Jahn singlehandedly moved hundreds of millions of dollars held tightly by cold-handed, impersonal corporations, delivering it to victims of fire, flood, and calamity. It was no easy task, but Jahn was no easy guy. He was tenacious—a bulldog to insurance carriers, but a “guidedog” to the disenfranchised. Hmm, I just realized Jahn Miller was “Robin Hood” of Berkeley!

Jahn wasn’t a tall man by stature, but he was a giant on behalf of those who trusted him! I will never forget Jahn Miller of Berkeley, California. My dear friend passed away on the 3rd of June, 2024. Jahn was born July 12, 1950. Jahn simply changed his address, where he can finally retire in peace. In heaven, there are no disputes and no impersonal, coldhearted corporations.

Jahn is survived by his beloved, Sandra Ezra, and his pride and joy, Victoria Miller (Vic Milla), his daughter.

Jahn N. Miller, a man who lived a life worth remembering.

Live Like Jahn!

Did you know that seven out of ten people can not remember the name of their great grandfather. This means that most fathers of today will be forgotten in less than three generations. It’s not that children can’t remember. It’s that most fathers are absent in their lives and therefore are absent in their children’s and in their grandchildren’s memories. The verbal tradition of familial heritage becomes silent when we live selfishly or abusively to our offspring.

This is more significant than simply remembering the name of our great grandfathers. Rather, it’s about whether our lives today and tomorrow were meaningful enough to be worth remembering or positive enough to be inspirational.

When I first learned of this statistic, I sat there shocked—in utter disbelief and horror. This would mean that my future offspring would be oblivious to my existence, and my life today, tomorrow, and forever would be as though I never existed!

The Scriptures says:

“God has set eternity in the hearts of men.” – Ecclesiastes 3:11.

This is why being forgotten is so frightening. Eternity is written into our hearts, and souls—to never have existed is contrary to our DNA and to our consciousness.

This set within me a passion to leave an indelible and positive mark on the hearts and minds of my children and grandchildren. This is why I write articles and stories. Not only do I want my children’s children and their children to remember me, but I want the life I live now to inspire them to do memorable acts of love and goodness for others.

The Apostle Paul wrote:

“… He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers.” – Romans 2:7

I want my children to do greater things than me, so that their children will also be inspired to do greater things than their parents, and so on. I want what God desires for me and my children—a life of eternity, glory, honor, and immortality.

I want my children to do greater things than me, so that their children will also be inspired to do greater things than their parents, and so on.

Job puts it this way:

“The righteous move onward and forward; those with clean hands become stronger and stronger.” – Job 17:9

Also, I write articles and blogs for others, leaving behind breadcrumbs, so that they, too, will find the Father-heart of God. Finding God’s heart and living to please him is how we can live a life worth remembering. A life lived well is one doing what exists in heaven, here, on earth. It’s knowing God’s will as it exists in heaven and cooperating with him to make it happen with your life here, now.

I want as many people possible to experience the joy and amazement of belonging to a loving God, through His beloved Son, Jesus Christ. You see, even God desired that His Son live a legacy life to be remembered and never forgotten—That all the works of Jesus would lead us to His Father—That all the Father’s spiritual offspring would find their way home, to Heaven.

Your greatest accomplishment is not only to father your children well while you’re living, but even more so after you’re gone. This is called a legacy—Living a life worth remembering!

Touching Heaven to Change Earth – The Beauty of The Glorious Gospel – By Thomas J. Koester

Through the fog, I hear a distance roar, the sound of people, their voices raised, and the sound of footsteps in almost perfect rhythm. They’re marching toward something, perhaps a sporting event, concert, or political rally. Maybe it’s a parade or a military procession.

Their sound becomes louder and louder, closer and closer; the ground begins to vibrate as several people begin to emerge from the fog. Suddenly, only a few steps behind them emerge a cavalcade of glorious people, as far as the eye can see — Inestimable in number.

Without burdensome expression, the weak, the lame, the sick; the poor, and the forgotten ride upon each of their shoulders. And in their hands, carefully cupped were carried the Aborted, the Unwanted, the Discarded Ones. The passion and fervor of their quest was brazen upon their faces so that nothing could stop or detour them.

As they rushed past me, I became engulfed in a sea of people, young and old. A tremendously intense bright light, white in brilliance, diffused from above and behind this enormous movement of God’s People, lending them the appearance as that of a crystal sea.

My heart began to pound in my chest, with uneasiness and apprehension, as I realized I was swept up into this great sea; my legs began to move and my feet began touching earth with the same rhythm. Upon my shoulders, I felt a gentle burden unequal to its size, a leper, and a prostitute road counter to each of my shoulders.

Without fatigue, I kept in step with my new friends, while a certain joy began to well up from within. As soon as my countenance found my heart’s joyous expression, my hands came together cupped, and within them appeared an Aborted One! My joy turned into inexpressible compassion as I held the contents of my hands against my beating heart.

My face was now brazen, undaunted, and without turning to the left or the right, I quietly asked, “Where are we headed?” Suddenly, in solemn unison, the answer came:

“THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, OF GOD AND HIS CHRIST, WHERE NONE ARE REJECTED, DISCARDED, OR DESPISED”

In the distance, I saw a mountain, which touched heaven and earth at the same time. The brightness of the mountaintop matched the brightness above and behind us. Suddenly, from deep within my heart rose a whisper:

“Heaven is opened to those who sacrifice for the least, and my glory is your rear guard.”

At that very moment, all that was left behind; the sofas and pews, TVs, computers, the comforts of life were forgotten. I’m no longer just one man, I no longer live for myself, and it’s with this procession I’m now known; to live holy and godly, touching the heart of God by touching the very least of these. God dwells within moving temples and invests his glory and grace to those who spend it!

Let us lavishly spend it on those who are truly hungry for righteousness; the hurting and broken, for those who are truly seeking redemption and mercy, and those that are impoverished for the Kingdom of God. Heaven’s supply shall never run dry!

Jesus Christ died for all and has been raised to life that all may live.

“God will repay each person according to what they have done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, he will give eternal life.”
Romans 2:6-7

We do not earn salvation. Rather, our actions prove it!

Become so heavenly-minded that you’ll do tremendous earthly good!

Hard Fought Happily-Ever-After — By Thomas J. Koester

Because every love story has an adversary!

Love is worth the battle—you are worth battling for. Don’t surrender. Your story is not over!

An adversary and a battle always precedes a happily-ever-after. Not only is this true for every romance and marriage, but it is also true of our faith. Storytellers and movie-makers are consistently using this theme over and over again.

What kind of romance, marriage, or faith would there be without an adversary and without a battle? Wouldn’t a movie or story be boring without an adversary and without battle?

After all, adventure, battle, and beauty are within our DNA—within the very depths of our hearts and souls.

As a matter of fact, the themes of an adventure, battle, and beauty are actually borrowed from God’s story of his crowning creation, that is, Adam and Eve. First, he creates them, then loses them to the Serpent’s craftiness. Then, God pursues his creation until he later rescues mankind back from the adversary by sending our champion, Jesus Christ the Righteousness One. Not only does God rescue those he lost, but his Son delivers a death blow to our most wretched adversaries, Sin and Death!

“Will I ransom them from the power of the grave? Will I redeem them from death’s hold? Death, where are your diseases? Grave, where is your victory? — Hosea 13:14

“Death’s sting is sin, and the power of sin is the Law. Thanks be to God, who gives us this victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” — 1 Corinthians 15:56-57

“But the LORD says, “The captives of warriors will be released, and the plunder of tyrants will be retrieved. For I will fight those who fight you, and I will save your children.” — Isaiah 49:25

And, for those who believe, this is not quite the end of God’s story—not by a long shot! He is preparing a place for us, our happily-ever-after. A place where all adversaries, including sin, death, disease, and the devil; where all loss, decay and brokenness, and even our tears will be forever vanquished.

So, don’t despise hardships and adversities, with it comes a life worth living and a God who, not only loves to come through for his children, but trains us through our adversities and battles, to come through for those whom we love, including strangers that God brings across our paths.

“A song of David. Praise the Lord! He is my rock. He prepares me for war. He trains me for battle.” — Psalms 144: 1.

Happily-Ever-After is worth the scars and setbacks, for life and true living are their reward.

“But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and obtain life.” — Hebrews 10:39

Stand your ground. Cling to your faith. Be brave and upright. Hold to the truth. Love fiercely and never give up on others.

“For I consider that our present sufferings can not even be compared to the coming glory that will be revealed to us.” — Romans 8:18

“What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” — Romans 8:31

Engage your battles as a victor and never as a victim. For you are a true Child of God after all and your Heavenly Father, well He’s the God of the Angel Armies!

God is your happily-ever-after. He fights for you!

How To Heal A Broken Heart – By Thomas J. Koester

“A wound where there are no tears, wrote John Eldredge, is a wound that can’t be healed,”

A splinter under the skin, if left alone and ignored, will eventually fester to the point of infection. Your body rejects the foreign object no matter how small; the pain calls out for your attention. If you ignore it too long, you could end up in the emergency room.

How about your heart?

Why ignore the pain?

Your heart is more precious than a finger; you can live without a finger, but you can’t live without your heart.

Sometimes, we’re strong in the wrong things and at the wrong times, but to be weak in the right things brings true courage.

If you are hurting, in pain, and are crushed in spirit, heart, and soul, you may be at the most significant turning point of your life. You may be dwelling with God in a high and protected place, but you must share your tears with God, or you’ll be swallowed up in bitterness and left alone on earth.

Isaiah 57:15

“The high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, the Holy One, says this: I live in that high and holy place where those with contrite, humble spirits dwell; and I refresh the humble and give new courage to those with repentant hearts.”

Psalm 51:17

“The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart.”

Let God encounter your tears; after all, he is the Everlasting Father. Please share it with him as your sacrifice of pride. Come to him crushed, broken, betrayed, rejected, and despised. He’s well acquainted with all of this and more. He allows it to touch your life, not to destroy you, but to draw you closer to himself so that you may be healed.

God wants to father you …

Trust and turn to God and surrender your rights to be offended, your anger for being abused, and your self-hatred for being molested, raped, and violated. God specializes in hurting and wounded people, and he’d rather be with you than with kings and queens.

The moment you offer up to God all your tears and pain, you are with him in spirit and truth.

Isaiah 42:3

“He will not break the bruised reed nor quench the dimly burning flame. He will encourage the fainthearted, those tempted to despair. He will see full justice given to all who have been wronged.”

God won’t exploit your bruises. He’ll not snuff out your heart, even if it’s barely lit and barely alive.

God desires to be your daddy …

Give it all over to God. If you do, he’ll see that justice is served, and you can give your anger and revenge a proper burial.

Then, you’ll knock down your walls of despair and make them into a dance floor, and you’ll dance with your Abba, just as He’s always wanted to.

Don’t live with the pain. Time is not the healer of all wounds; that’s a lie.

God is the healer of all wounds, and he’s waiting to hear your cries directed towards him so that He may act.

Isaiah 30:19

“O’ my people in Jerusalem, you shall weep no more, for he will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. He will answer you.”

Give it up to God. Let it drink in God’s presence and love, and so be healed and restored.

Become healed in the name of Jesus!

He came to seek out the lost and broken, and there is no one he cannot save or heal.

This may be one of your greatest moments and your most significant turning point.

Your heart and soul are God’s specialty. Don’t ignore this opportunity – don’t let your heart become hardened again. Act now while your heart has softened.

Don’t live with a wounded heart. Jesus is dying to heal you. Amen

A True Leader – By Thomas J. Koester

Being a leader is becoming a servant and refusing all temptation to be otherwise.

A true leader is the first to repent, the first to seek forgiveness, and the first to rise after a fall. He is the first to extend grace to others because he’s the first to extend grace to himself. He sets a standard that others can achieve without the need for a diploma or a pinstriped suit.

A true leader has learned the art of diminishment. He understands that if others are to increase that he must decrease, so he looks for others to promote rather than himself. He restrains himself from being the source of revelation but instead helps others find the Source.

He is more interested in raising leaders and not followers.

He does not set his own life as a standard to follow. He knows his life is plagued with imperfection and that leaders don’t always do what is right; that’s impossible. Instead, his humility points to the sufficiency found only in Christ and not in himself. He is clothed in Christ’s humility rather than theological pedigrees.

A true leader refuses to sit on pedestals. He denies the acclaim and the applause of men. He understands fleshly accent will lead not only to his demise but to all those who foolishly elevate him.

So, he leads with humility, quiet strength, and fear reserved for the Lord. The voice and message that matters most to him are; “well done, my good and faithful servant,” and not the flattery of men.

Being a leader is becoming a servant and refusing all temptation to be otherwise.

Men and women of these qualities appear rare because humanity always looks in the wrong places for such leaders. The world looks for a King Saul, but God, he looks for a Shepherd boy.

Be careful following the “impeccable,” they may be a fake and a phony. A real man of God doesn’t hide his imperfections; he leads through them and because of them. Don’t become captivated by their charisma, but rather by their character.

The authenticity of a real man of God and a true leader is who they are after the crowds leave and what their wife and children see of them when no one’s looking.

A good man’s greatest compliments come from his wife and children.

Love Is On The Way – A Note From Heaven – Delivered By Thomas J. Koester

My dear Precious One,

Pain, suffering, crisis, and hardship are tools in My hand, not to harm or punish you, but to transform and beautify you. All losses and difficulties are My instructors, nudging you towards My heart and shaping My Likeness into your uniqueness.

I have redeemed you to be with Me forever, and so, I’m preparing you now for the happily-ever-after then.

Don’t stop loving Me. I will not stop loving you–never! I am a ferocious and unstoppable Lover of your heart and soul. There is no other God like Me, or ever shall there be. I am your One and Only, as you are My One and Only. This is how I see all My children, high or low, great or small; you are precious to Me all.

Give Me all your worries and doubts. Focus not on the crisis. Instead, focus your faith on My promises so that My will may happen on earth, just as it exists here with Me in Heaven.

I hold ALL things together by the Word of My Power! Am I not qualified to be your only God and Father?

I am jealous for your love, but I know how frail you are and how prone you are to wander. So I am patient, wooing you by My Spirit and gently whispering to your heart and soul:

“Come back to me, come back, My Dear One.”

Don’t test Me, but rest in Me, and all will go well with you.

My Son Jesus is my expression of My love for you. His face is My face. His passion is My passion. Come to Me through Him. If you stop believing in Him, you’ll stop believing in Me. Don’t stop believing, and don’t stop obeying My Word and My Voice; they are critical to your survival and are a roadmap straight into My heart.

In due time your seasons of suffering will change. The Valley of death will be gone, and mountainous vistas will spring up, and the works of My hand will shower you with breathtaking beauty. It will captive your heart. Your soul will be filled to overflowing, and We’ll dance together again.

I am longing to show you My face and light up your life with My entire presence and full glory. On that day, I’ll wipe away all your tears and welcome you into your very own everlasting home. It will be the ultimate homecoming, I promise you!

On that day, you’ll become as bright as the stars in heaven, and all your worries, hurts, and imperfections will be gone, gone, and gone, never to return.

I can’t wait to show you all I’ve prepared just for you. Let Me continue to prepare you for all of it. The highs and lows, the turbulence, and the difficult days are all masterfully handled and orchestrated by Me.

Be patient and remain faithful to Me, as our time together is always approaching nearer and nearer. Things will get rough just before they get better, so look for My signs and ready yourself for that beautiful day, as I love to come through for you because I am in love with you …

… Love is on the way!

Your Loving Abba-Father,

God

Only A Whisper To Heaven — By Thomas J. Koester

Heaven’s voice is closer than you think.

The key to living a blessed life rather than a cursed life is repairing the broken lines of communication between your heart and your father’s. Your father’s heart is your “telephone line” to the heart of Abba-God.

Remember who you are, who you belong to, and how much you’re loved. This does not change.

Your greatest loss is not that you’re not loved, or do not belong, or have no identity, but that you have simply forgotten. Or maybe it’s been years or decades of anger that has turned your heart bitter towards your father, which has caused your deafness to Heaven.

Heaven’s voice is closer than you think.

“We talk about heaven being so far away. It is within speaking distance of those who belong there. Heaven is a prepared place for prepared people.” — Dwight L. Moody.
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You only have to whisper to hear your name echoing from heaven. When you turn back to God, he will be found. Your pain and loneliness are not your punishment but your preparation for His presence. Don’t give up; God’s presence will come flooding back into your life.

Sometimes, we transfer our hurts and anger for our fathers to our Heavenly Father, so we shut our ears to God. I know it’s hard to forgive, but we can only hear our Heavenly Father’s voice again in forgiveness and repentance.

I know this, not just because I read it in the Bible, but because I’ve experienced this firsthand between me and my father. Just 4 days before my dad passed away, I forgave him for those years of silence, neglect, and abuse.

It took so much effort and courage to whisper in the darkness of my father’s death-filled VA hospital room in Martinez, California.

Dad?

“Yes, son?”

… Dad, I love you!

“… I love you too, son!”

I repeated my ‘I love you, Dad’ proclamations over and over again, basking in my father’s response of, “I love you too, son!”

From that day forward, heaven became wide open, and my new belief that my dad loves me convinced me that my Heavenly Father loves me, too. Until that day, my 39-year-old heart had never heard those precious words from my father.

You see, the Devil knows all too well that broken communication with our earthly fathers breaks and disrupts our communication to and from our Heavenly Father.

This is why the words of the Prophet, Malachi, are so significant:

“… And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers; lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” — Malachi 4:6

The key to living a blessed life, rather than a cursed life, is repairing the broken communication lines between your heart and your father’s. Your father’s heart is your “telephone line” to the heart of Abba-God.

“People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes, you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” — Isaiah 30: 19-21

When whispered to heaven, the words bottled up within your broken heart will change everything!

Suddenly, you’ll have the courage to forgive your father and others. On the day that happens, Heaven will become opened, and you’ll hear the voice of your Heavenly Father.

To be heard by heaven, just whisper.

The Father-Hearted God – By Thomas J. Koester

We are children of the Father-hearted God.

With long days and even longer nights, I have written more and have done a great deal of thinking and searching. Each time I do, more memories and tears bubble up. But these are good tears because what was once tragic is now increasingly becoming a blessing.

So, I’ve added more stories and more insight. It’s been the hindsight, coupled with new understanding, which has been revealing the fingerprints and mastery of a loving Father-hearted God, who, by the way, took all my days of good and evil and is progressively showing his artistry through all of it.

His color palate contains far more colors than just “black and white,” which is what many cold and lifeless religions preach to us. He is an unlimited God, with shades of an eternal spectrum yet to be discovered, and a profoundly intimate God, motivated with an ever-expanding Father-heart. He is filled with grace and wisdom. His love utterly humbles me, and if you can believe it, speechless at His unconditional grace and mercy towards even a guy like me.

Thank you all for your prayers and kindness. I genuinely hope and pray that whatever you may be battling or struggling through, it too is woven into something beautiful, no matter how difficult or painful. God loves a “stacked deck,” the more complex your life may be, the more impossible for a solution or cure, the more grace will appear — for our God loves, absolutely loves to come through!

So then, in our weaknesses and fragility, we can boast about God’s grace and that we’re also co-siblings with The Great Overcomer, Jesus Christ. We are children of the Father-hearted God. We are vastly wealthy and greatly loved.

I was at a water damaged home in Walnut Creek several years ago. I was speaking with the mother of this cute little, “Shirley Temple” like 3-year old. A few minutes later, the front door opens, and the little girl lights up and runs to her father, excitedly yelling, Abba, Abba, my Abba is home! I gotta tell yah, that brief moment tugged at my heart. I think it’s because that’s how we’ll one day greet our Heavenly Father. That’s how he wants us to greet him each new day. I think God’s favorite name is Abba!

So, notify your soul and face too, and show the world how great our God is. From your sick beds to your busy offices and lives, from your living rooms to the dressing rooms of Macy’s and Kohl’s — in every shopping line, and especially at Walmart, For our God is a great God, 24/7!

He loves to reveal his Father-Heart to broken and lost people. Our God would rather hang out with the despised and rejected than dwell with kings and queens — that’s just how special you are!

There’s no need to be anyone else than you. No need to be with anyone else than with the Father-hearted God!

Not Enough Heaven – By Thomas J. Koester

If you’re not living as though heaven is for real, then you’re not prepared to live there.

“Nobody gets too much heaven no more It’s much harder to come by I’m waiting in line Nobody gets too much love anymore It’s as high as a mountain And harder to climb…”
“Too Much Heaven,” by (Songwriter(s): Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb) Recorded: July 1978

We’ve got to stop playing into the hands of Unbelievers and Utopians by joining them in bringing heaven to earth. It’s our job as believers to bring people to heaven and living a lifestyle that points the way.

Heaven is our destination, which makes us sojourners and not settlers while here on earth.

The old saying:

“Don’t be too Heavenly minded, or you’ll be no earthly good.”

That is a lie!

Being Heavenly minded is how we avoid becoming too worldly, and so becoming ineffective on earth.

We lead people towards God because of the amazing hope of heaven within us.

Colossians 3:1-2

Living the New Life

“Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.”

Hmm, “… realities of heaven,” I like that! Heaven is a reality; it’s for real, or have you forgotten?

“Nobody gets too much heaven no more” is because our worldly goals and comforts have replaced our heavenly destination. Jesus spoke of a present Heavenly Kingdom, which is here, now, and already within us, who believe.

… We’ve just forgotten it!

Heaven is both our prize and reward, which is barely spoken about or herald from pulpits. Doesn’t truly loving God mean that we have a longing to be with Him; to be where our Lover and Redeemer dwells?

We’ve trivialized what it truly means to “love the Lord thy God,” and turned love into an impossible feat, making real love as unreachable, “as a high mountain” that has become “too hard to climb.”

No heaven and no love no more is making our world into a hellish place, whereby more and more people want off earth, but in the wrong way, and in the wrong direction!

Why are so many “broken people” willing to take as many people to hell with them as possible?

Why would John Lennon pen the famous lyrics…

“Imagine there’s no heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky”

… which happens to be the atheist’s Anthem!

This song, as popular as it is, is not directing people to a place of world peace. It’s directing people straight to hell, all during a nice tune and a sweet melody.

According to Ecclesiastes 3:11, We were created with “eternity written on our hearts.” We can’t fathom “only sky.” We have souls fitted for eternity.

Where are the Holy People of God who are to lead the lost and hopeless to the love of God and the only pathway to heaven, which is Jesus Christ?

If you’re not living as though heaven is for real, then you’re not prepared to live there. If you’re not loving God for real, then you’re making love impossible.

God’s love is real, and so Heaven is real, too!

As a matter of fact, heaven is so real that God sent his only Son, in the form of a baby, to make a way for you and me to enter heaven.

Before Jesus gave up his last breath, he said to the thief, hanging on his own cross next to him:

“… This day, you will be with me in Paradise.”

Jesus came to earth so that you too may be with him in heaven. The thief on the cross recognized Jesus’s innocence, and in so doing, believed that Jesus is the Christ.

I hope you, too, will believe.

The world would be a better place with more heavenly minded people on it! Wouldn’t you think so?

The Legitimate Child of God – By Thomas J. Koester

To Know His Heart Is Everything; To Know Your Heart Is Where It Begins…

The wounds and scars your body and heart now bare are not those of an abandoned boy or little girl but of those of an adopted and well-loved child.

If you can’t recognize or misinterpret God’s chastisement, it’s because you don’t believe in your sonship.

It’s because you don’t quite know the heart of God. Well, maybe not enough just yet…

… You see, I just want to inspire you to ponder a little, just below the surface of your heart and mind. Just to get a glimpse at another possibility or maybe a deeper reason behind those pesky feelings.

Don’t focus on how you’ve been wounded and scarred, but seek out the teacher who permitted it. If you seek Him, you will find Him and discover hidden treasures that God put there.

Sometimes what’s motivating our feelings is a sense of unworthiness. True, none of us are worthy of God’s grace and goodness, but emotional unworthiness can cause you to doubt God and miss his good intentions for your life.

As soon as your heart learns the significance of your wounds and scars, light will come bursting in, and your strength and passion will be renewed like never before.

Or, you can reject all this and be stuck in a “Groundhog Day” life, whereby you repeat the cycle of God’s chastisement until you surrender to his love.

Kind of look at it this way; you’re being tested, not tempted. God knows your heart, and the tests occur so that you’ll know where your heart is. The hardship is to draw your attention to what’s going on inside your heart. If you’re stuck on doubt and abandonedment, you’ll fail God’s test. He’s cheering you on to succeed and not to fail.

Look, God wants you to pass his tests with flying colors. He’s always nearby to show you the way to his finish line.

I know, sometimes it doesn’t feel like God is there. Sometimes, it feels like no one is there, not even a close friend, your wife, husband, mom, or dad. You may think no one understands or cares. I know, all too well, how you can feel lonely, even in a crowded room.

Do you want the honest truth? All of that stuff; loneliness, doubt, and abandonedment, are feelings and are nothing more than an orphan mentality. God doesn’t orphan those he loves. Nope, not at all. It’s not God making you feel that way. It’s the Father of Lies, not your Heavenly Father.

God treats every son and daughter with the same passion. He wants you holy so that you can be whole. He’ll cut away anything that stands in the way of your wholeness. He wants you to be just like him, holy; separated from all that stuff that separates you from Him. Sometimes, it feels like abandonedment — even in your loneliness, though, God is at work.

Don’t relapse into your old ways. Don’t pretend to have it all together — pride is not the answer. Abandon, your false attempts to cover up — God sees right through your charades.

Did you really think you could get away with sin?

Did you honestly think God would allow sin, despair, and the devil to be your downfall?

Well, I don’tthink so. God bankrupted heaven in giving up His Son, Jesus, just to show you how much he loves you. Don’t think for a second that he didn’t love his Son. Jesus died to make you into a real child of his Father. That’s why he resurrected his Son from the grave! He got His Son back, and He wants you back, too!

Well, would you look at that—Father and Son – working together to make you a permanent member of His family!

Only an illegitimate son or daughter can escape correction, but a true child of God must be refined. And his refinement, well, it comes from a good place, from his heart.

So your hardship is not a string of bad luck. No, they’re a rope to pull you closer to the heart of your Heavenly Papa.

Seek to know the heart of God, and you’ll never get lost in difficult days. You’ll never again forget that you belong to him.

So, say good riddance to loneliness, doubt, and abandonedment because you’re a child of the Most High God, and He happens to be in love with you!

He is a fierce lover and a faithful Father. Hallelujah and amen!