The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Psalm 145:14-21, “The LORD sustains all who fall, and raises up all who are bowed down.

15 The eyes of all look to Thee, and Thou dost give them their food in due time.

16 Thou dost open Thy hand, and dost satisfy the desire of every living thing.

17 The LORD is righteous in all His ways, and kind in all His deeds.

18 The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.

19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and will save them.

20 The LORD keeps all who love Him; but all the wicked, He will destroy.

21 My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD; and all flesh will bless His holy name forever and ever.”

I heard it clearly. My eyes were frozen to the screen! “Do you believe in God?” The question itself did not shake me, but I was startled to hear and see it from the one who asked it! It was a newscaster –a television newscaster! He was interviewing an elected government official, when suddenly, out-of-the-blue, he posed the question. It was as if he had just read the verses above. Equally surprising was the response of the interviewee. He was not rattled in the least. His reply was as strong and solemn as the questioner’s!

Four times in the verses above, the psalmist cites the LORD. “The LORD sustains…” He supports all who fall and are in need. “The LORD is righteous…” He is just and kind and truthful in all His ways. “The LORD is near…” He is much closer than to us than we think. He hears our prayers –prayers that are sincere and trusting. He provides what we desire, when we reverence Him in our daily living. He preserves and protects those who genuinely love Him. Simultaneously, He destroys the wicked and all that they plot against the righteous.

Then, in the final verse, the psalmist vows that he himself will praise the LORD for all His works. The psalmist’s words and acts should encourage us all to praise and bless the Name of the LORD! Listen, if a television newscaster can spontaneously proclaim his faith on the air in the hearing and viewing of millions of people, surely you and I can praise Him openly to all with whom we come into contact. Take inventory of His blessings and provisions in your own life, and share His blessings with others! The LORD will support and bless all who praise His holy Name!

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 123:1-4, “To Thee I lift up my eyes, O Thou who art enthroned in the heavens!

2 Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress;

So our eyes look to the LORD our God, Until He shall be gracious to us.

3 Be gracious to us, O LORD, be gracious to us; For we are greatly filled with contempt.

4 Our soul is greatly filled With the scoffing of those who are at ease, And with the contempt of the proud.”

Did you ever have a need and not know where to go for help? Such has been the lot of us all, even from centuries past. This psalm is interesting in that it begins with the answer and then relates it to the problem. Some difficulties in life so hide themselves from us that we scarcely know where to look for a solution. Here in verse one we are taught to look first and foremost to the LORD. For it is He who rules from His throne in Heaven! Is it to Him that you go first? It ought to be! Old hymns are often instructive.

Where could I go? Oh, where could I go?

Seeking a refuge for my soul.

Needing a friend to help me in the end,

Where could I go but to the LORD?

The examples the psalmist sets forth are instructive, too. To whom do servants look for help in their time of need, except to their masters? Laborers look for help from those for whom they work. Children look to their parents, their grandparents –those older and close by and most likely to help. To whom do missionaries look for help, when they are far from civilization? Fear sets in rapidly! Thoughts of death swim ragingly through our minds! Yet, there is One who stands by us more securely than any other. It is the LORD God, who created the universe and all that’s within it. He is our supreme help and our salvation!

Even the scoffing of those who witness our dilemma –scoffing that confounds the uncertainty of our hearts and minds—can be squelched by the Almighty, when we call upon Him. Still, no one can call upon someone, whom he does not know. Do you know the LORD? Do you know Him personally, so as to ask for His help? If not, then help for you all but does not exist. But, He has made Himself known, so that you may know Him as a Friend. Reach out to Him today! He loves you and wants to satisfy your needs. He has successfully aided others in their needs. Call

upon Him today!

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 121:1-8, “I Will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From whence shall my help come?

2 My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.

4 Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD is your keeper; The LORD is your shade on your right hand.

6 The sun will not smite you by day, Nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul.

8 The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in From this time forth and forever.”

Is there ever a time that we do not need help? Even the psalmist, whose life was lived closely to the LORD, admitted his need for help. It is not weakness to ask for help; it is strength to know when we need it, and greater strength in knowing where to go for help.

The confidence the psalmist has is positive: “My help comes from the LORD…” Where do you and I obtain the help that we need? Do we always look to the LORD? Do we not find help from His Word, the Holy Scriptures? The Scriptures assure us that He will protect us. The LORD does not sleep; He always sees to the needs of His own. Are you one of His? Has your life been truly committed to Him? If it has, you have not need to worry. The LORD is your keeper, you security.

There was a belief among earlier peoples that the heavenly lights –the sun and moon—could adversely affect the demeanor of human beings. In the New Testament we have an instance of a boy, whose father believed his activities to have been controlled by the moon. The Greek word seleniazo, translated lunatic, means “moonstruck” (Mat. 17:15). Still, the psalmist shoves such strange beliefs aside, saying, “The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul.” Do you depend solely on the LORD? Or have silly superstitions invaded your thinking?

The LORD is the supreme guard and protector of all life; especially, the life of the ones who have believed upon Him as their LORD and Savior. We are not to be foolish in our behavior. Neither are we to be afraid. Rather, we are to be committed to Him and to seek His will and direction in all things. Are you doing this? Have you believed in Him as your LORD and Savior? If you have, you may peacefully rest on His Word.

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 118:23-25, “This is the LORD’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.

24 This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

25 O LORD, do save, we beseech Thee; O LORD, we beseech Thee, do send prosperity!”

The era in which this psalm was written was a bleak and dismal time for Israel. Yet, the opening verse of this chapter says, “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting.” It is not likely that the psalmist was expressing delight for the calamity that surrounded Israel, any more than we would express gratitude for the distresses we often experience. Rather, the writer is looking above and beyond the current discomforts and viewing the glory of the LORD’s deliverance.

Virtually, anyone can rejoice when things are going well. When we Christians, however, encounter difficulty, we should look beyond it and rejoice in the LORD. After all, we are –or ought to be— aware that no circumstance of life falls outside of His divine purview and control.

One interesting aspect of this particular psalm is verse eight: “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.”

It is the central verse of the entire Bible! The Scriptures, of course, were not originally written in chapters and verses, as we have them today. Stephen Langdon in A.D. 1228 created the chapter divisions, and Robert Stephens, in A.D. 1551, divided the chapters into verses. Still, this central verse could well be personally embraced by every true believer.

We are not enjoined to simply relax, though the LORD God is in control of every aspect of life. We are encouraged to trust in Him and call upon Him for deliverance. The word “beseech” (? ???????????? ) is the same word “Hosanna” (??????) that we find in the New Testament (Jn 12:13), translating, “LORD, save us!” Thus, the focus of our thoughts ought never to be on the distresses of life, but upon the Deliverer from those distresses. He never fails! Who is your deliverer from life’s stresses? He is available to all who earnestly call upon Him.

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 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