The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Psalm 116:12-19, “What shall I render to the LORD For all His benefits toward me?

13 I shall lift up the cup of salvation, And call upon the name of the LORD.

14 I shall pay my vows to the LORD, Oh may it be in the presence of all His people.

15 Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His godly ones.

16 O LORD, surely I am Thy servant, I am Thy servant, the son of Thy handmaid,

Thou hast loosed my bonds.

17 To Thee I shall offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving, And call upon the name of the LORD.

18 I shall pay my vows to the LORD, Oh may it be in the presence of all His people,

19 In the courts of the LORD’s house, In the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!”

One of life’s greatest joys is giving. It’s a natural joy, of course, to be given something; but

true joy lies in giving to others. But, what can we give to someone who has everything?

This was David’s delimma. The LORD had so benefited him; and he wanted to express

his gratitude for all the LORD had done. We have that same stirring within us. The LORD

has blessed us in so many ways –far more than we can count. Now, what can we do in

return?

Lifting up “the cup of salvation” is an outward, formal act whereby he praises the LORD

and acknowledges His deliverence from some deibilitation, such as a sickness. It is a

public declaration that everyone experiences: this is what the LORD has done!

The death of a saint –a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, who is deeply devoted to

the LORD—is precious, like costly jewels, to the LORD. It is of extreme value to the LORD.

Barnes expresses it so very well:

“God saw that the death of one of his friends was a matter of so much importance

that it should occur only when the most good could be affected by it, and when the

ends of life had been accomplished; that God would not decide on this hastily, or

without the best reasons; and that, therefore, he had interposed to lengthen out his

life still longer. Still, there is a general truth implied here, to wit, that the act of removing

a good man from the world is, so to speak, an act of deep deliberation on the part of

God; that good, and sometimes great, ends are to be accomplished by it.”

However close to the LORD we are, we have an obligation to praise Him for His multiple

deliverences of our lives. Moreover, we have a decided obligation to pay the vows we promised

when we laid on that bed of severe affliction: “Oh, LORD, if only You will remove this illness

from me, I will –” Now, it is payday! And we are to acknowledge the LORD’s deliverence

publicly, “in the presence of all His people.” We always look to Him for deliverences. Now, He

looks to us for a “Thank You, LORD.” Have you thanked Him lately?

We love you and thank the LORD for you daily,

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.”