The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 Samuel 30:6, “Moreover, David was greatly distressed because the people

spoke of stoning him, for all the people were embittered, each one because

of his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD

his God.”

The greater the advancement, the greater the trouble. I have to wonder

if David did not often wish he were once again a youth keeping watch over

sheep in the wilderness. Life was simpler then. Not only was Saul against

him, but the Amalekites had raided Ziklag, a city in the Negev (in southern

Israel) and captured his wives and all the cattle. David and all who were

with him wept until they had no more tears. Add to all of that, the people

who were with him, and had wept with him over the devastation of the

circumstances, now turned against him and talked about stoning him to

death. Sometimes the appearance of a thing is worse than the reality. But

when things are really devastating, we often don’t see beyond the trouble.

What, then, are we to do? What did David do? He “strengthened himself

in the LORD his God.” He got a grip on himself and refused to be discouraged!

I will not give up! I am the LORD’s servant; I will depend on Him! It was an

attitude thing. He took his problems to the LORD, and the LORD assured

him that all would be well. In the end, all was well, as David “recovered

all that the Amalekites had taken, and rescued his two wives (v. 18).

Life is not a bed of roses. Troubles will always surround and threaten us.

But the LORD is our “refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble”

(Psa. 46:1). Learn to trust and rely on Him.

Our love and prayers surround you daily,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

1 Samuel 25:38-39, “And about ten days later, it happened that the LORD

struck Nabal, and he died. 39 When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said,

‘Blessed be the LORD, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand

of Nabal, and has kept back His servant from evil. The LORD has also returned

the evildoing of Nabal on his own head.’”

Did you ever have the feeling that you had the right to do something,

but the LORD kept you from doing it? David felt exactly like that. He

and his men had protected the shepherds of Nabal from harm for some

time. Nabal was a very wealthy man and it seemed to David only right

that Nabal should feed the men who had protected his shepherds. But

Nabal was proud and selfish and stubborn and refused to give David’s

men anything! David then determined to kill Nabal and all his men.

But Nabal’s wife, Abigail, gave David and his men what they needed

and pleaded with David not to kill Nabal. David thanked the LORD

for Abigail’s intervention and the food and left off any thought of

taking Nabal’s life. David had been spared from doing wrong. Ten

days later, Nabal died at the LORD’s Hand!

Just think about this for a moment. The LORD didn’t need David or

his men to eliminate Nabal. He did it Himself. Sometimes we get

excited and rush ahead of the LORD. We do things that seem right,

but things we know in our hearts that are wrong. If someone needs

to be moved from his position of work or reprimanded for something

he’s done that is wrong, we just need to pray and wait on the LORD.

Nothing the LORD does is ever wrong! But “Fools rush in where angels

fear to tread.”

May the LORD guide you in all you do today,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

Matthew 5:11-12, “’Blessed are you when men cast insults at you,

and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on

account of Me. 12 ‘Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is

great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.’”

By the grace of God, I rarely have trouble sleeping. And when I sleep,

I rarely dream. But last night I dreamed of persecution. I was attending

a “Bible” study, but it was hardly a study of God’s Holy Word. Rather, I

was berated and taunted by all in attendance for my stand in the faith.

I was physically beaten, and only when I feared for my life, was I willing

to have an ambulance take me to the hospital. When I awoke, the verses

above came to mind.

What is troubling is not my dream, but the fact that scores of believers

throughout the world are experiencing in real life what to me was merely

a dream. Mobs gather in hate toward the very ones who seek to bring

them life in Christ. We’re living in a world today where it’s “open season”

on anyone who names the name of Jesus. We are aware that demon

spirits abound throughout the world. How are we to react? Jesus said,

“Rejoice, and be glad…” Be glad for persecution? No, be glad that you

are in the spiritual lineage of the godly persons, whose unwavering stand

in the faith, because your heavenly rewards are exceeding! ~ Our problem

is not what unbelievers think of us or how they treat us; our problem is that

we live too much for the things of the world. Heaven itself is a reward; the

renewed acquaintance of loved ones who are there now will be a reward.

But there is more –so much more! Stop living in the “here and now,” and

start living in the “there and then.” That’s not a dream. It’s reality!

May His abundant blessings be yours today is our prayer,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

1 Samuel 17:45-46, “Then David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with a sword,

a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of

the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. This day the LORD will deliver you up into

my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the

dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild

beasts of the Earth, that all the Earth may know that there is a God in Israel…’”

There may not be a more courageous account in all of the Old Testament

than that of David and Goliath. David was at the battle site because his

father had sent him. His oldest brother berated him in front of the soldiers,

still he did not retreat. He was also young and not trained or seasoned as

as warrior. Still, having been anointed as the future King of Israel, the LORD

instilled in him a love for and a trust in the LORD Himself. Youth is often

fearless, when age produces caution. But, was this David’s fight? He believed

it was. The honor of the Name of the LORD was at stake. Nothing else mattered.

Think of how the LORD has anointed (saved) us and sent us into the battle.

Fear cannot overwhelm us if we keep our thoughts on Him! It never occurred

to David that he might not win. Negative thoughts were drowned in the deep

waters of faith! Never question whether you can do a thing. If it’s honest and

truthful and worthy of the LORD, just do it!! Sometimes it may even appear that

you have failed; but what is done in the LORD’s Name and for His glory never fails!

The battle is always the LORD’s!

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

1 Samuel 16:14-16, “Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul,

and an evil spirit from the LORD terrorized him. 15 Saul’s servants then

said to him, ‘Behold now, an evil spirit from God is terrorizing you.

16 “Let our lord now command your servants who are before you. Let

them seek a man who is a skillful player on the harp; and it shall come

about when the evil spirit from God is on you, that he shall play the harp

with his hand, and you will be well.’”

Saul’s sin resulted in his being deposed from being king. David was

the LORD’s specific choice. But when the Spirit of the LORD came

upon David, the same Spirit departed from Saul, leaving him open

to invasion of “an evil spirit from God.” The only viable meaning

is that the LORD allowed a demon spirit to invade Saul’s life. That

demon terrorized Saul! ~ Music was known to the ancients as early

as Genesis 4:21, where Jubal “was the father of all those who play

the lyre and pipe.” But, the earliest use of music as a therapy may

be in our verses above. Even today, good music is therapeutic.

It occupies the attention of the brain, pushing aside thoughts of

fear and evil and giving place to the Holy Spirit of God. But Satan

has caught on, and provides music that feeds demonic spirits. We

must be careful! Satan is a master strategist, and his music runs

the gamut, all of which is intended to keep us off balance

spiritually. It’s a never-ending fight! It’s a contest for the mind!

Remember what Solomon said, “Keep thy heart with all diligence;

for out of it are the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23).

Praying for you daily,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”