The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Jeremiah 42:1b-3, 20, “…all the people both small and great approached

2 and said to Jeremiah the prophet, ‘Please let our petition come before you,

and pray for us to the LORD your God, that is for all this remnant; because

we are left but a few out of many, as your own eyes now see us, 3 that the

LORD your God may tell us the way in which we should walk and the thing

that we should do….’” 20 “For you have only deceived yourselves; for it is you

who sent me to the LORD your God, saying, ‘Pray for us to the LORD our

God; and whatever the LORD our God says, tell us so, and we will do it.’

21 “So, I have told you today, but you have not obeyed the LORD your God,

even in whatever He has sent me to tell you.”

The days of Jeremiah were indeed difficult times. Wars and tumult were

on every side. The people were anxious and fearful. They had lived wickedly

and served other gods. But, now they turn to Jeremiah and beg him to seek

the LORD’s way for them. They promised Jeremiah (and the LORD) that

whatever He wanted them to do, they would do it –no questions asked!

Jeremiah prayed for guidance, and 10 days later, the LORD revealed His

will for the people: they were to stay where they were and not go down

into Egypt. Yet, having promised they would do what the LORD commanded,

they decided otherwise. Jeremiah said, “…you have deceived yourselves…

you have not obeyed the LORD your God…” Mark it well: failure to obey

the LORD is always self-deception!

Aren’t we often just like these people? We have trouble; we pray that the

LORD will guide us out of it; but when He shows us clearly what we ought

to do, we stubbornly think we’ve figured it out for ourselves and do the

opposite. Of course, the end for us is then disastrous! When will we realize

that the LORD knows best? He is always right; why, then, do we not listen

and obey His Word?

The LORD loves you; and His love enables us to love you, too!

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,

Jeremiah 32:33, “And they have turned unto me the back,

and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and

teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction.”

Some people seem never to learn. You can tell them what is

right, but they listen only to others. My parents gave me good

instruction. It was always rooted in the Bible. “You cannot do

wrong and get by,” I can still hear my mother say, “Be sure your

sin will find you out.”

When we are sick or face some trouble in our lives, we

go to the best available person we know for advice, don’t

we? We don’t just ask the Walmart checker what she

thinks. But, do we follow the advice we are given? Turning

you back on someone is tantamount to saying, “Stop it!

I don’t want to hear a think you say!” Not a smart move.

The LORD has His plan for each of us. He tells us again

and again that we have no ideal what great blessings

will come if we follow His teaching. The Bible is that

key source; and prayer is that key communication.

There is no greater instruction! There is no greater

Communication!

We pray for each of you every day,

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,

Jeremiah 29:11-13, “’For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD,

‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

12 ‘Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.

13 ‘And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.’”

There was a lot of trouble in the days of Jeremiah. Some prophets were

saying this, while others were saying that. At the same time, they were all

claiming to be declaring the Word of the LORD. Who is to believe what?

Sounds a lot like our world today, doesn’t it? Yet the prophet Jeremiah

had stayed true to the LORD, and the LORD continued to give hope to His

people through him.

There is a principle for us in these verses. The LORD has plans for us.

Circumstances are not always as gloomy as they seem. Look beyond

them and trust Him. He plans good for us, not evil and corruption. We

are to believe His Word and pray earnestly. He promises to listen! It’s

not always easy, but it will ultimately turn out well and to His glory.

Remember the words of the Apostle Paul, “But as it is written, ‘Eye hath

not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the

things which God hath prepared for them that love him’” (I Cor. 2:9).

So, cheer up, ye saints of God!

There’s nothing to worry about;

Nothing to make you feel afraid,

Nothing to make you doubt.

Remember Jesus never fails,

So why not trust Him and shout?

You’ll be sorry you worried at all

Tomorrow morning.

We are trusting Him for you; trust Him for yourself!

Our love and prayers always,

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,

Jeremiah 23:28b, 36, “…let him who has My word speak My word in truth….

For you will no longer remember the oracle of the LORD, because every

man’s own word will become the oracle, and you have perverted the words

of the living God, the LORD of hosts, our God.”

We live in a day where everyone has an opinion on almost everything.

That, in itself, should give us pause. Still, “everyone” includes pastors

as well as politicians, physicians, theologians, psychologists, ad infinitum.

One pastor of the distant past said, “I don’t believe all I hear preached”

–to which, hopefully, we all might say, “Amen!”

Radio and television offer the opportunity for the Gospel to be shared

throughout the world. The Internet offers infinite opportunities, too.

But we must be careful. Speaking through the prophet Jeremiah, the

LORD says His Word is to be spoken by those who know it and speak

it clearly and truthfully. Not every voice that purports to be of the

LORD is of the LORD! Moreover, many of those who communicate

via radio and television and the Internet also offer books that carry

their ideas as God’s Truth, when they are not.

Solomon warned that “the writing of many books is endless, and excessive

devotion to books is wearying to the body” (Eccl. 12:12). Many preachers

“feed” on ideas from others’ books –ideas that purport to be truth, when

they are actually distortions of God’s Truth. How are we to know what is

and what is not God’s Truth? First, cleanse you heart before God. Get rid

of thoughts and ideas you know to be contrary to His Holy Character.

Then prayerfully and carefully read and study the Bible, depending upon

the Holy Spirit to lead and guide you. Be dependent always on what the

Bible says –not on what some self-acknowledged “spiritual leader” says.

Keep your mind and life on solid, spiritual ground. It’s God’s Truth that

the Bible says “will set you free.”

We love you and pray for you to love God’s Word,

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,

Jeremiah 17:7-8, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD

And whose trust is the LORD. 8 For he will be like a tree planted

by the water, That extends its roots by a stream And will not fear

when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not

be anxious in a year of drought Nor cease to yield fruit.”

How blessed and refreshing is the Word of the LORD! Those who

trust in Him will always know His provision and His protection. So

much can be learned from observing the growing things around us.

Here, Jeremiah likens the trusting man to a tree that is planted

near the water. Horses and cattle can sense the presence of

water far away. Inanimate objects, like plants and trees, also have

an inbuilt sensitivity to the presence of water. The absorption of

water through their roots maintains the tree’s life. Just so, our trust

in the LORD is our maintenance of life. Heat represents adversity,

but the tree’s green leaves protect it from all harm. Even a year

of drought does not create anxiety because the roots continue to

drink from the nearby stream and the tree continues to produce

her fruit.

Jesus used sparrows in His denunciation of fear. He said, “…do

not fear; you are of more value than many sparrows.” Thus,

whatever arises to cause you anxiety can be dispelled by your

consistent trust in your Heavenly Father. Look difficulties

squarely and confidently in the face. They, too, will pass.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble”

(Psa. 46:1).

We are praying for you 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.”