The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Psalm 92:1-2, 5-9, “It is good to give thanks to the LORD, And to sing praises to Thy name, O Most High;

2 To declare Thy lovingkindness in the morning, And Thy faithfulness by night…

5 How great are Thy works, O LORD! Thy thoughts are very deep.

6 A senseless man has no knowledge; Nor does a stupid man understand this:

7 That when the wicked sprouted up like grass, And all who did iniquity flourished, It was only that they might be destroyed

forevermore.

8 But Thou, O LORD, art on high forever.

9 For, behold, Thine enemies, O LORD, For, behold, Thine enemies will perish; All who do iniquity will be scattered.”

When was the last time you said, “Thank you” to someone? When was the last time you said “Thank You” to the LORD?

It is when we assess ourselves worthy recipients of another’s kindness that we eliminate any expression of gratitude. Such

neglect is hardly worthy of one who claims the LORD as his LORD. The LORD’s loving watch-care over us by day and by night surely requires our praise. We have no idea how closely we come to daily tragedies, only to be delivered by His watchful care.

The psalmist enjoins us to consider the magnificence of the LORD’s works and the depths of His plans. Our failure to acknowledge His glory and power renders us both “senseless” and “stupid.” And we’re the ones who are so steeped in our own stupidity that we neglect to say “Thank You.”

Here is a mystery now clearly revealed: When the wicked sprout up like grass, and engage in iniquity, it is an activity focused

against the LORD. Furthermore, He only allows it in order that they might be destroyed forever! Nothing the wicked does affects the plans of the LORD! He is sovereign! He reigns on high forever! And His enemies will ultimately be annihilated!

All of that is to say that the LORD is ever and always in control. We are not to worry. We will not always understand His plans and thoughts; but they are always in play, and the truly righteous are always under His protection. Maybe it’s time for us all to

faithfully focus our trust on the LORD and say “Thank You”!

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

Dear Grands,

Psalm 85:8-13, “I will hear what God the LORD will say; For He will speak peace to His people, to His godly ones;

But let them not turn back to folly.

9 Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, That glory may dwell in our land.

10 Lovingkindness and truth have met together; Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

11 Truth springs from the earth; And righteousness looks down from heaven.

12 Indeed, the LORD will give what is good; And our land will yield its produce.

13 Righteousness will go before Him, And will make His footsteps into a way.”

“If you will behave yourself, like I have told you, we will see about you going to play with your cousins this afternoon.”

How often this strong-willed lad heard those words from his mother! Yet, time and again he was prohibited from those

desirable activities because he had disobeyed.

The previous seven verses of this Psalm parallel both my youthful disobedience and the disobedience of our nation.

We begged and begged for forgiveness, promising never again to ignore the commands of our Leader. We knew at

the point of our pleading that the LORD was right. He is always right! How could we ever dream of constructing a

nation without His guidance? Yet, one, small success after another led us to believe that WE had achieved the inevitable!

We then grew proud, boasting of our “successes,” but ignoring the spiritual guidance that would have guaranteed it.

Salvation ) ??????yesha ) translates as “deliverance, rescue, safety, welfare!” Is that not what we desire for ourselves

and our nation? Indeed it is near! –but only when we learn to fear and reverence the LORD! Glory (honor, abundance)

can indeed pervade our nation! The LORD “will give what is good,” but not until we learn to honor and obey Him.

Quite often, when I dutifully obeyed as a boy, my mother would exceed in her promises to me. Not only was I

allowed to play with my cousins, but the time was so extended that it seemed I was there all day. Obedience does

exceed stubbornness. Righteousness does produce peace. The LORD does “give what is good” to His people.

Just guess what’s holding Him back….

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

Dear Grands,

Psalm 84:10-12, “For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand outside. I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of

my God, Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who

walk uprightly.

12 O LORD of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in Thee!”

Life by any other name is a mixed blessing. There are those experiences that are so delightful, so precious, that we long for

them to last forever. At the same time, there are experiences that are so devastating that we actually doubt whether we can survive their experience!

The pslamist vows that an enclosure with the LORD is vastly more desirable than anything apart from Him. He would rather stand at the entrance to the door of the LORD’s house, without the privilege of even entering, than to shelter in fellowship with the wicked. The sun is productive. By it the LORD gives light and warmth and growth to things beneficial to mankind. At the same time, the sun is protective. By it, the LORD shields His own from the evil intentions of the wicked.

The LORD’s grace is His favor to His people. Every good thing His people possess is a gift from Him, Life itself graced with peace, has been bestowed at His hand. His glory bespeaks His honor that is awarded to those who love and serve Him sincerely. Check closely the psalmists closing words: “No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.”

All of this says that rather than focus upon the uncertainties of the legal and illegal activities of others, our focus must ever and always be upon the LORD. For it is He who is rules and reigns on High! And His promises are unbreakably and securely bound up with mankind’s holy and upright living. Thus, “winning” in the current delimma that faces our nation and the world-at-large, depends solely on you and me! We must totally and thoroughly divest ourselves of all thoughts and intentions of wickedness –however pleasurable and justified it may seem. We must focus fully and completely upon the LORD and yield everything to Him! He alone is our Protector. And the quicker we learn to obey, the quicker He will alleviate our suffering.

“O LORD of hosts, how blessed is the man who trusts in Thee!”

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

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

Dear Grands,

Psalm 62:1-8, “My soul waits in silence for God only; from Him is my salvation.

2 He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken.

3 How long will you assail a man, that you may murder him, all of you, like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence?

4 They have counseled only to thrust him down from his high position; they delight in falsehood; they bless with their mouth,

but inwardly they curse.

5 My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him.

6 He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be shaken.

7 On God my salvation and my glory rest; the rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.

8 Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.”

If you are reading these daily Letters as closely as you should, you are as amazed as I at how the Scriptures are tracking the

election quagmire in which our nation is currently bogged down. The Bible is not a political entity; yet, it speaks miraculously to every nation’s people with respect to their political and social conduct. Those who left the old country and sailed to this New World in ships, did so both as an escape from tyranny and in search of freedom to worship God as His Spirit directed them.

Interestingly, the passage above initially directs us to wait on the LORD’s activity. He alone is our salvation! We are not to trust in

the genius of legal counsel. Their success comes from the LORD’s guidance, regardless of their personal spiritual standing with Him. He is able to direct the thoughts and activities of all men, just as He directs the thoughts and activities of those who love and follow Him. Still, it is the LORD and the LORD alone who is to be our focus. He is our only salvation, physically, politically and spiritually.

Verses three and four are addressed to those who would assail with murderous intent the one they politically denounce. But, before we rejoice at their ruin, that same Scripture commands that we “wait in silence for God only,” for our hope lies only in Him. The psalmist declares the LORD to be his “rock and…salvation.” He is adamant that he himself “shall not be shaken.” For the LORD will not allow anything or anyone to move him away from the only Person of trust. This is how all victories are achieved.

“Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.”

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