The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 Kings 9:4-7, “As for you, if you will walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you and will keep My statutes and My ordinances,
5 then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, just as I promised to your father David, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’
6 “But if you or your sons indeed turn away from following Me, and do not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them,
7 then I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them, and the house which I have consecrated for My name, I will cast out of My sight. So Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples.”

Small children can often be heard to “dare” one another in performing an activity that is a bit on the dangerous side. It goes like – “I will, if you will.”

In this First Book of Kings, the LORD engages something like this with Solomon. David had obviously been forgiven for the sins he committed –sins of which we read in the Books of Samuel—for the LORD speaks of David’s “integrity of heart and uprightness,” doing as the LORD had commanded him.

The LORD’s promises are not exhaustible! His patience, however, is! As with Solomon, the LORD wants us to follow Him. He demands that we keep His commandments and forsake other gods and their worship. The LORD sets forth His desires in the Book we know as the Bible. It is that Book that leads us to faith in His Son, Jesus, who died on the Cross as payment for our sins.

When we believe in Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins and in His resurrection from the dead, He forgives us of our sins and gives His Holy Spirit to live within us. The Holy Spirit then uses the Word of God –the Bible—to guide our lives in the way He desires us to live. Having forgiven our sins, we immediately become His children; and as earthly fathers want their sons to behave and resemble them, so the LORD wants us to live in resemblance of Him and according to His standards.

Have you experienced this yet? You can, you know. It is the LORD’s loving desire
that you be forgiven of your sin and come to know Him as your LORD and Savior.
Seriouly ask Him to forgive you for your sins and as Him to make you a new person. Don’t let time run out! “Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts” (Heb. 4:7).

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

P. S. Please pray for those courageous Ukrainians, who are defending their
homeland!

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom