LightGrams
November 13, 2025
Volume 29, Number 36
Michael Frerichs is the State Treasurer for Illinois. That may seem like a cold and heartless job, but Frerichs has taken on a mission that is actually heartwarming. Part of his responsibility is receiving the contents of abandoned bank safety deposit boxes and trying to reunite them with their owners or the families of owners who have died.
Over the years, several Purple Hearts have been turned over to Frerichs’ office. If you don’t know, a Purple Heart is a medal awarded to veterans of the U.S. military for injuries they received in the line of duty. An article in the November 10 edition of the Chicago Tribune told of such a medal, awarded to James Bennett for his service in World War 2 that had been in a bank box for several years. After long investigation, a niece was found and the heart returned to her.
In the article Frerichs stated that his office has returned 17 Purple Hearts, while six more remain in the state’s possession. Though it sometimes takes months or years, often involving the media, Frerichs feels satisfaction in reconnecting these medals with families of those who earned them. “It is really, really touching,” he stated in the article.
God chose the descendants of Abraham through his grandson Jacob to be His chosen people. What did God expect of Israel? “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart …” (Deuteronomy 6:4,5). Judaism had many commands to be followed; some count more than 600 commandments! But when Jesus was asked which is the greatest of those commandments, He didn’t hesitate: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart …” (Matthew 22:37). Giving God our hearts is our greatest responsibility in life.
When we enter this world at birth, our hearts belong to God. He gave us life and it’s not too much to expect to show Him our gratitude and appreciation (see Isaiah 1:2-4). But Satan has effective techniques of stealing our hearts. Solomon is a classic example: “For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David” (1 Kings 11:4). Satan has not ceased trapping hearts that belong to God and turning them away from Him.
In the last book of the Bible God foretold the coming of “Elijah the prophet” (pointing to John the Baptist, Luke 1:17): “He will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers” (Malachi 4:6). Involved in that turning is the turning of hearts back to God, the ultimate mission of Jesus Christ.
Here’s a question for self-diagnosis of our own heart condition: What do we treasure most in this life? As Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). No one is more vital to our existence than the Father. It’s time that we returned our hearts to Him.
Come to the light God offers! Study His word, the Bible. Worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24). Get in touch with us if you’d like to discuss these ideas further.
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Copyright, 2025, Timothy D. Hall. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the New King James Version (Copyright, 1990, Thomas Nelson, Inc.).
“LightGrams” is produced by the Central Church of Christ, 2722 Oakland Avenue, Johnson City, Tennessee, 37601, and is written by Tim Hall, minister. It is sent free of charge every Thursday to all who request it. To subscribe or to receive more information, write to “Tim@GraceMine.org” (our E-mail address), to the U.S. mail address above, or call (423) 282-1571.
Permission to reproduce and/or use the messages for noncommercial purposes is freely granted provided the messages are not altered.