The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Matthew 1:22-25, “Now all this took place that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying,

23 ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.’

24 And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took her as his wife,

25 and kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.”

Prophecy is history written before it occurs. The prophet alluded to here is Isaiah (7:14) and occurred 740 years before Christ. Ahaz was king of Judah and Judah was being threatened with invasion by Syria and Israel. While Ahaz contemplated calling upon Assyria to help him, the LORD spoke to him when Isaiah urged him to look to God for help, rather than to others. The sign was that a virgin would have a son, and before the son was born, those who threatened Judah would be eliminated.

Joseph was probably acquainted with Isaiah’s prophecy, given to him in a dream. And when he awoke, he did precisely what the angel had told him. He put off the thought of divorcing Mary, but refrained from any sexual contact with her until the birth of Jesus.

Why are we always in such a hurry to do things our own way? We look to Scripture and learn that the LORD is with us and available to do “exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think” (Eph. 3:20), yet we worry and frustrate ourselves needlessly! My dear old grandmother used to say, “They haven’t reckoned with the LORD.” And it is so! Joseph entertained no extraneous thoughts. He simply did what the angel had told him, and everything turned out far better than he could have otherwise imagined.

“…and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” Once we have trusted Christ as our LORD and Savior, He is always both to us forever! He guides every step of our lives. Even in those dark times, when it seems as if nothing is working out for us and few if anyone cares, He is there! He cares! Don’t get discouraged! Don’t give up! Just stay in the Word and trust Him. As the old song says,

Ask the Savior to help you,

Comfort, strengthen and keep you;

He is willing to aid you,

He will carry your through.

Our prayers are with you all,

Nana & Dado III

(Gene & Rose Marie)

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.”