The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Psalm 31:13-15, “For I have heard the slander of many, Terror is on every side; While they took counsel together against me, They schemed to take away my life.

14 But as for me, I trust in Thee, O LORD, I say, ‘Thou art my God.’

15 My times are in Thy hand; Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.”

I believe in the inerrancy and infallability of Holy Scripture. It is historically accurate and demonstrates that whatever we encounter, others have previously encountered it, as well. At the same time, we must be careful that Scripture’s meaning is not distorted because we take it out of its context. To the counter of that, I must say that some passages are meaningful even in part and have application to our daily lives.

In the three verses above, the psalmist David is suffering from the slander of his enemies. He cannot seem to move

without being surrounded by the trouble they are jointly causing him. They even want him dead. And in that context, David is saying, “I trust in Thee, O LORD; I say, ‘Thou art my God.’ My times are in Thy hand…” This is the context.

At the same time, without any knowledge of any conspiracy against me, or anyone wanting to take my life, I can say,

“I trust in Thee, O LORD…, ‘Thou art my God.’ My times are in Thy hand.” At this point, I have taken it out of its original context and it is still applicable to my life at all times. Do you trust in the LORD? Do you consider that your

times are in His hand? Then, these few words apply to you, as well, and you can apply them in any and every situation.

Note carefully, however, that not all Scripture can be taken out of its context and applied at our every whim. Even when Scripture taken out of context can apply to our own personal lives, it has to apply to us as it did to those who experienced it first. We can trust the Word of God, but we must never twist the Word to gain an advantage. It is best that we know that the LORD controls what time we have been alloted for life on this Earth, and that our earnest trust is always in Him! Whether there’s trouble or not, those thoughts can and do apply to us every day.

I pray that you and your family will have a Blessed Thanksgiving! And be sure to thank the LORD for His blessings!

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.”