The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Psalm 103:1-5, “Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name. 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits;

3 Who pardons all your iniquities; Who heals all your diseases;

4 Who redeems your life from the pit; Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;

5 Who satisfies your years with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.”

Today’s news carried the following headline:

Disease transmitted by kissing bugs becomes more common…

My first thought was that kissing bugs was a new “thrill” in which teenagers are engaged.

Yuk! I found, however, that it pays to have read the entire piece before drawing that conclusion. Turns out that it is a serious piece warning us all about a bug that likes to bite humans on the face and transmits a deadly disease.

The psalmist’s headline is “Bless the LORD!” The word “bless” ) ???????barak( means “to kneel, to honor.” The word “soul” () ???????nephesh( means “life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion.” Then, as if he anticipates that we might still not understand, the psalmist adds, “And all that is within me.” That’s what the soul is—all that is within us.

We are to be fully and completely sold out to the LORD! If we are, we will not forget all the benefits we have from Him.

What are the major benefits we have from the LORD? First, and perhaps foremost, is His pardon of our sins. He erases, wipes out, all and every sin we have committed. Our sins are all against Him; and He has cleansed us of them. Second, He heals (repairs, purifies) us from all of our diseases and pains. Third, He redeems (buys back, rescues) our lives from the pit (destruction). Fourth, He crowns (bestows upon us) love, goodness, faithfulness –all far beyond what we might imagine. He renews (enriches) the years of our lives with His supreme goodness. Sound good? Well, it is!

To kiss someone is to honor them. In Psalm 2:12, the King James Version of the Bible says, “Kiss (honor) the Son, lest He be angry…” and concludes “Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him.” The “kissing bug” is not our primary worry; not giving proper honor to Christ Jesus is.

We lovingly kiss you and Him by way of our daily prayers,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”