The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Psalm 74:10-11, 18-21, “How long, O God, will the adversary revile, And the enemy spurn Thy name forever?

11 Why dost Thou withdraw Thy hand, even Thy right hand? From within Thy bosom, destroy them!

18 Remember this, O LORD, that the enemy has reviled; And a foolish people has spurned Thy name.

19 Do not deliver the soul of Thy turtledove to the wild beast; Do not forget the life of Thine afflicted forever.

20 Consider the covenant; For the dark places of the land are full of the habitations of violence.

21 Let not the oppressed return dishonored; Let the afflicted and needy praise Thy name.”

Remember when you were young and attending school? There were always some kids who thought they were tough.

Whatever they said, they backed up with threats of youthful violence. My cousin apparently didn’t understand them,

because one day when he was threatened, he took the tough guy to the ground and made him cry. Did that not make

a difference in things!

Some of those who escaped being defeated as children are still with us. They threaten us with words and violence.

They appear to outnumber those who could match them in physical battle. Yet, our victory lies with the LORD! The psalmist

simply cried, “Destroy them!” Do it completely! Wrestle them to the ground! Bring them to an end! And the basis for the

psalmist’s cry is that the enemy has defied and insulted and scorned the Name of the LORD! And in the process they have

caused “a foolish (senseless) people” to disdain the LORD’s Name, too.

Simultaneously, the psalmist pleads for the lives of those who love and follow the LORD. Please don’t deliver us (the dove)

into the hands of the enemy (the wild beast). Don’t ever forget how we are being afflicted (mistreated). But do remember

the covenant You promised to “Your descendants…throughout their generations, an everlasting covenant” (Gen. 17:7-8).

Especially, do we need Your promised covenant now, when our “land is full of the habitations of violence.”

Our final verse above pleads with the LORD to bring honor and deliverence to those who praise His Name! There is no

question but that we deserve the LORD’s wrath. As a nation, we have stood by and literally watched while babies (the LORD’s little ones) have been butchered and their body parts sold for money! Oh, we deserve His wrath! Still, Abraham once pled with the LORD not to destroy Sodom; and the LORD said, “I will not destroy it…,” if but ten righteous persons can be found there

(Gen. 18:32). Are we among the righteous? There are but two positions, and there is no escape from being counted.

May the LORD be gracious to us as well, and forgiving of our many sins. The LORD alone is our only hope! He can transform

us from sinful to righteous. We must just be willing to ask His forgiveness and commit our lives to Him and His directives.

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