The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Psalm 107:23-28, “Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do business on great waters;

24 They have seen the works of the LORD, And His wonders in the deep.

25 For He spoke and raised up a stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea.

26 They rose up to the heavens, they went down to the depths; Their soul melted away in their misery.

27 They reeled and staggered like a drunken man, and were at their wits’ end.

28 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distresses.”

There is no such thing as an accident. Everything that occurs is traceable to the Hand

of the LORD. He is the Creator of all things and the Supreme Authority over all. We view

trouble as an act of nature; but nature has no mind or inherent will. The LORD set certain things in motion at the time of creation, and they continue in motion until He pleases to stop them.

The psalmist uses seafaring men to illustrate his truth. Those who do business by way of the seas have encountered some of life’s greatest tragedies. Who can control the winds that rage against the waters? Storms at sea frighten even the most courageous of men. Their boats rise and fall on the water as the winds increase. Such are the winds’ unexplained achievements – wonders that are so uncontrollable that men stumble and stagger as if they were drunk. They are “at their wits’ end”; they don’t know what to do. They are forced to admit that God alone is their only hope.

Few, if any of us, have ever been in circumstances so dire as the psalmist describes. But we have been in situations where we doubted we would survive. What do we do? Where do we turn for help? It is always to the LORD. Even the one who boasts that there is no god, cries out to God for help in such times. And it is He who brings us out of all of our distresses. Is not our cry to Him for help our acknowledgement of His Authority? Is that cry not an admission that there are no “accidents” in life? If the LORD controls all things, why dose He allow disaster to come upon us? Could it not be that He is forcing us to acknowledge His power and authority?

We would do well to acknowledge Him when there is no calamity surrounding us. Verse 30 reads, “Then they were glad because they (the seas) were quiet; So He guided them to their desired haven.” Meditate on all of this in your heart. Apply the principle of this to your own life. And remember: the LORD is always there for those who are His.

May the LORD bless you always is our prayer,

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.”

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.”

Dear Grands,

Genesis 39:22, “And the chief jailer committed to Joseph’s charge all the prisoners who were in the jail; so that whatever was done there, he was responsible for it.”

In our early teenage years, we began to get jobs. It was exciting to be responsible, to know that adults trusted us. Responsibility is always based upon trust. The Hebrew word for responsible is asah. It means industrious performance that results in accomplishment.

One of my high school friends got a job cleaning a barbershop. He was compensated for what he did, but he had to be there at an appointed time and he had to do a good job.

In our verse above, Joseph had been imprisoned unjustly. Potiphar’s wife had lied about Joseph, leading to his imprisonment. But the chief jailer saw that Joseph was responsible, and put him in charge of all the other prisoners. It’s important that we be and act responsibly in every situation. Think of this: when we pray, we are trusting the LORD to act responsibly on our behalf. But that cuts both ways. He assigns us duties, trusting that we will perform them honestly and dependably.

When the LORD called me to preach, He opened for me a small church. I was then responsible to study the Scriptures, produce two sermons a week, drive to the church, and deliver the sermons to the people on Sunday, and give guidance to the church that was in keeping with the Bible. I prayed for the LORD’s guidance, but I was responsible for carrying out my duties, as well.

We all trusted Him when we confessed our sins and asked His forgiveness. Now, it is for Him to trust us to share with others what He has done in our lives when He forgave us. The blessings of the LORD are not without responsibility. The big question is: Are we being responsible in sharing Him with others? Sharing Christ Jesus means living the new life – His Life– that indwells us. Honesty, truthfulness, kindness, love –all this speaks of Him as living within us. Then, sharing Him verbally with others is another responsibility. This is accomplished in multiple ways –ways in which the Holy Spirit guides us. Keep alert! Be ready to be responsible! He has put us in charge of the prisoners.

Our prayers for you are a part of our responsibility. We love being responsible!

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.”

Dear Grands,

1 Samuel 16:6-7, “Then it came about when they entered, that he looked at Eliab and thought,

‘Surely the LORD’s anointed is before Him.’ 7 But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his

appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man

sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’”

“Gene, I don’t think that you’re going to be our pitcher.” I was about nine years old, and we had

gathered on the school playground for a game of softball. My pitches simply lacked the skill that was needed, and the words of my pastor were final. His words were hurtful at the time, but they

are as still as clear to my memory as if they had occurred yesterday. I was rejected!

Over the years, I have suffered rejection numerous times. I have been by-passed for jobs, terminated from jobs –yet, none of the word linger in my mind like those of my pastor now some

70 plus years ago.

Have you ever wondered what the sons of Jesse thought when they were rejected by the LORD?

Eliab, Shammah –all seven of Jesse’s eight sons had passed before Samuel, but none of them were the LORD’s choice to replace Saul as King of Israel. The Scriptures do not picture them as

evil or unworthy; they were simply not the LORD’s choice.

Rejection is not always a bad thing. As I review my multiple rejections, it is amazing to note that with each and every one, something better occurred. It didn’t always happen immediately, but it did happen! The key, I discovered, was not to be discouraged. Yes, it’s hard not to be; but if our lives belong to the LORD, and if we are confident of His involvement, and if our attitude and behavior aligns with His Word, rejection will take on an entirely new meaning!

No, I didn’t become the pitcher –ever! I became the catcher behind the batter. And I played every game, something even pitchers could never do! Be accepting of the LORD’s plan for your life. Keep a good thought, because “the LORD looks at the heart” –your heart.

Our prayers are lifted up for you every day,

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.”

Dear Grands,

Psalm 84:11-12, “For the LORD God is a sun and shield;

The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He

withhold from those who walk uprightly.

12 O LORD of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in Thee!”

These two verses literally overflow with meaning! The psalmist praises

the LORD as the One who illuminates and invogorates mankind. Where

would we be without the sun that warms and produces life? Where would

we be if we had no relief from continual sunlight and its scorching heat?

The LORD balances everything so that we might receive His grace and

acknowledge His glory.

It is both a truth and a promise that He will not withhold any of His goodness

from us as we walk uprightly in honesty and love. Thus, when we discover

the absence of His blessing in our lives, we should examine our footsteps.

Are we walking with Him? Are we living in His Word, the Holy Scriptures?

They are indeed the spiritual food we need for the life He wants us to live.

Are we trusting Him for the provisions we both need and desire? We often

accurately recognize what we need, but we fail to look to Him for the

provision of it. The LORD wants to bless us just as our parents (and we as

parents) want the best for their children. Yet, to reward us with blessing when

we behave contrary to the will of the Rewarder, is to overlook justice. Parents

sometimes do that. God never does that!! Sin always has consequences.

And although consequences are grevous, they are necessary teachers to

bring us to righteous living.

So, don’t despair when you get “spanked” for doing wrong or neglecting to do

right. Just tell the LORD you are genuinely sorry (repent), and He will forgive

you and strengthen you for living in His sunlight.

Love and prayers for each of you,

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.”