The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Jeremiah 16:17-19, “My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity concealed from My eyes.

18 “And I will first doubly repay their iniquity and their sin, because they have polluted My land; they have filled My inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable idols and with their abominations.

19 “O LORD, my strength and my stronghold, And my refuge in the day of distress, To Thee the nations will come from the ends of the earth and say, ‘Our fathers have inherited nothing but falsehood, Futility and things of no profit.’”

Of all the things that I despise,

The foremost one is compromise.

It’s the only two lines I can recall from a poem I wrote many years ago. And I’ve quoted it to myself often when the temptation came to lessen the cords that bind me to the LORD and His directives. Oh, yes, the surprise ought not to be that I was tempted, because all of us are almost all of the time.

The LORD watches all we think, do, and where we go. Nothing is ever hidden from Him! What’s more, His chastisement of His born-again Christians is ever as hurtful as was His

chastisement of His ancient people. He told them, “I will…doubly repay (your) iniquity…”

There are consequences to sin.

Only this week, I have had opportunity to discuss morality with some people. “Do you compromise?” I asked; “There are consequences to sin.” The pressure of peers is often enormous. “Don’t ask him to come,” some will say. “He is like she is: a spoil sport, a goody

two shoes,” they used to be called. Simon Peter spoke of such attitudes when he said,

“…they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excess of dissipation, and they malign you; 5 but they shall give account to Him who is

ready to judge the living and the dead.” (1 Pet. 4:4-5).

In the end, Jeremiah determined to stay on the LORD’s side and do His bidding. He is “my

strength and my stronghold., and my refuge in the day of distress.” Then he recounted his

past and said, “Our fathers inherited nothing but falsehood, fulity and things of no profit.”

Don’t give in to the pressure “friends” want to apply to your life! Look ahead at what the LORD has for you today and in the Day when He Comes! Be courageous! Say with Jeremiah,

Of all the things that I despise,

The foremost one is compromise.

We love you in the LORD, and He loves you more that you will ever know,

Nana & Dado III

(Rose Marie & Gene)

P. S. Rose Marie is destined to leave the hospital tomorrow. Her pneumonia is now

virtually obliterated, and her house has been thoroughly cleaned through the

love and generosity of some dear friends. Welcome Home, sweet 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.”