The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Psalm 104:31-35, “Let the glory of the LORD endure forever; Let the LORD be glad in His works;

32 He looks at the earth, and it trembles; He touches the mountains, and they smoke.

33 I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

34 Let my meditation be pleasing to Him; As for me, I shall be glad in the LORD.

35 Let sinners be consumed from the earth, And let the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, O my soul. Praise the LORD!”

Thanksgiving 2020 has passed. Yet, as the glory of the LORD endures forever! Thus, our thanksgiving for all His works ought to

continue throughout our lifetime. The entirety of Psalm 104 sounds out praise to the LORD for all His works. So, when the

psalmist’s words draw near to the end, he again encourages our continuous praise of the LORD. He reminds us of the LORD’s

majestic power. His mere glance at the Earth could cause it to tremble and the mountains to belch forth smoke. The LORD’s

divine power should cause us to live in awe of Him. We should sing His praises throughout our lifetime.

Singing praise to the LORD is an overt activity. I can recall my grandmother singing hymns as she went about her daily tasks.

That signaled to me that her mind was upon the LORD, and that He was giving her strength and wisdom to attend well to her daily, physical work. Whether our overt singing arises from a true covert praise of the LORD, He Himself only knows. Singing to the LORD does not require a “beautiful, melodious voice.” It requires only a truly spiritual love for the One to whom we sing. We might do well to engage in some introspection, lest we simply “go through the motion” without the devotion that truly praises Him.

Further, we must set a guard upon our meditations. What we think about throughout the day may not always be pleasing to

the LORD. If our singing is foundationed in true praise, it will affect our meditation. When it does, the LORD is truly praised! You may contend that there is a significant difference between my what were my grandmother’s daily household tasks and those of one engaged in serious, strenuous work that requires intense concentration. I would reply that the Scriptures offer no differentiation in human tasks when it comes to praise. Both the housewife and the surgeon must depend upon the LORD to affect the outcomes they desire. When each is dependent upon the LORD, each concludes his work with gladness in praise.

The utter seriousness of praising the LORD is captured in that last verse: “Let sinners be consumed from the Earth, and let the wicked be no more.” Why? because they offer no praise to the LORD. Still, the psalmist will not allow the passage to conclude with a negative note. He cries loudly: “Bless LORD, O my soul. Praise the LORD!” And we, too, must praise His Holy Name through our thoughts and our lifestyle! “Only one life, it will soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.”

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