The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Psalm 31:23-24, “O love the LORD, all you His godly ones! The LORD preserves the faithful,

And fully recompenses the proud doer.

24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD.

Did you ever say something that shocked you? It was just something that you never expected

to come out of your mouth! Before you answer, note that I have not said that you were wrong

in what you said, or that was bad. Nor have I said that you were right. My initial sentence only

implies that what you said was unexpected! You were shocked by what came out of your mouth.

The psalmist says that if we love the LORD, He preserves us because we are faithful. The one

who loves the LORD speaks up on His behalf, regardless of the one with whom they are speaking.

It could be the Chief of Police, the Mayor, the Governor, a Senator or the President. It doesn’t

matter. The shock came because you didn’t realize you had the courage to speak up for the LORD.

The “flip side” of the psalmist’s note is that one who is too proud to admit that the LORD’s Word

has value and power, will simply not speak up for the Him, but will be recompensed for spiritual

weakness, which, in effect, is a denial of one’s own spiritual affiliation with the Savior.

We’ve all been in both situations. When we’re faithful, it shows that we possess real strength and

courage. When we’re proud, we demonstrate spiritual weakness and fear. Instead of standing up

for the LORD, we want to align oourselves with their thinking instead of His. For shame! What is

gained by denying the LORD? If you wonder, ask Simon Peter.

“Be strong,” the psalmist says. “Let your heart take courage.” Self pride demonstrates fear. Hope

lies in our LORD, Jesus Christ; and others need to see it in us. Remember: Everyone is either looking

for something he doesn’t have, or he’s running from something he doesn’t want, or he’s found

it and is trying to share it. Let’s pray for ourselves and each other. The world has enough weaklings!

It’s time we made a stand for Jesus!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(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.”