The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Psalm 31:1-6, “In Thee, O LORD, I have taken refuge; Let me never be ashamed; In Thy righteousness

deliver me.

2 Incline Thine ear to me, rescue me quickly; Be Thou to me a rock of strength, A stronghold to save me.

3 For Thou art my rock and my fortress; For Thy name’s sake Thou wilt lead me and guide me.

4 Thou wilt pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me; For Thou art my strength.

5 Into Thy hand I commit my spirit; Thou hast ransomed me, O LORD, God of truth.”

6 I hate those who regard vain idols; But I trust in the LORD.”

You have probably heard the expression that the disciples of Jesus were always either in trouble or headed for

trouble or just getting out of trouble. They lived in extremely difficult times! They had encountered Jesus and

followed Him faithfully for about three years. Now, with Him no longer in their midst, they had been charged to

stand for the eternal truths He had taught them.

David lived a thousand years before Jesus. The words that David wrote in the Psalm above give us a pretty

clear picture of how hard things were for him in his lifetime. Nothing that’s worthwhile comes easily. David sees

the LORD as his “rock and fortress,” his defense. He also leans on the LORD for guidance. Coming to the end

of those verses above, David commits his spirit to the LORD.

The disciples that Jesus left behind experienced the same turbulence as David. And many today face grueling

persecution and reprisals due to their contention for Christ and His teachings. That in itself has hindered some

Christians from witnessing of Him. Perhaps it was even harder for those in Paul’s day because all laws were

devoid of even the shadow of the Christian faith. There was no Constitution that allowed the freedoms we

know today.

Just don’t get discouraged! Don’t be afraid? If you know the LORD, you live and breathe under His protection.

You and I are here for His purpose, not our own. When he has tasked you with a certain responsibility, He will

guard you until that task is completed. Just keep looking up, as His glory continues to radiate upon you. Pray

consistently in everything you do. I like the verse that says the disciples rejoiced “that they had been considered

worthy to suffer shame for His name” (Acts 5:41). God bless you as you live for Him in a world that’s unworthy.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom