The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Philippians 4:6-8, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.”

A dear and precious friend of mine left the following in my inbox this very morning:

“I didn’t think I would be here after a meltdown through the night, but He is so faithful.
Anxiety about what time I have left. I awoke to this hymn in my mind and heart:”

I heard an old, old story
How a Savior came from glory
How He gave His life on Calvary
To save a wretch like me
I heard about His groaning
Of His precious blood’s atoning
Then I repented of my sins
And won the victory

O victory in Jesus
My Savior, forever
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him
He plunged me to victory
Beneath the cleansing flood

My guess is that many, if not all, of us have had bad nights. We’ve wrestled with sleep until the break of dawn. And as the years roll by, we’ve wondered how many days and nights do we have left. It’s normal when there are underlying problems that deprive us from restful sleep.

People differ in such situations, however, when the LORD Jesus is omitted from the equasion. My friend knows the Lord! And he has once again been made aware that he is here until the LORD calls him Home.

“Be anxious for nothing,” the Bible says. Still, it’s easier said than done. The word “anxious” (?????????) has both a positive and a negative meaning. In the positive sense, it means “to care for; to be concerned about.” That’s what we want from doctors and nurses who are attending to our welfare in hospitals.

In the negative sense, it means being “overly concerned, worried.” It borders on a lack of faith. The word itself is mentioned 14 times in the Scriptures. Nine of the 14 are New Testament references. We believers are not to “overly concerned” about anything because we know the LORD Jesus Christ, and have committed our lives into His care. And with all due respect, His care is infinitely superior to the most skilled, knowledgable and trusted doctor anywhere.

Our humanity often screams out against the element of faith. That’s natural. Even we who are the LORD’s children are still possessed of a human nature. Fear and anxiety are normal. We have not previously passed into the valley of death. Still, death itself has both a positive and a negative meaning. The positive is our eternal embrace in the arms of the Savior; the negative is separation from Him for all eternity. That’s why His ministers everywhere are urging everyone to yield to Him is faith. And sometimes, doctors are His ministers.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Prov. 3:5-6).

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