The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Lamentations 3:17-25, “My soul has been rejected from peace; I have forgotten happiness.
18 So I say, ‘My strength has perished, and so has my hope from the LORD.’
19 Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness.
20 Surely my soul remembers and is bowed down within me.
21 This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.
22 The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.
24 ‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I have hope in Him.’
25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him.”
26 It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of the LORD.”

We’ve all been there. Some of us have been there more than once. Where? In the valley of despondence, of course. We’ve encountered difficulties of various sorts –things we never dreamed would come to us. So, we prayed; still, nothing happened. It was as if the LORD wasn’t listening.

We’ve confessed every sin we can remember; still, there is no answer from the LORD. What are we to do? Ah, but the prophet experienced some of the same –only his suffering was much more and exceedingly greater! What did the prophet do?

Jeremiah first resorted to positive thoughts. He said, “The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail.”
Just hearing yourself repeat the prophet’s words aloud seems to engender a ray of hope.

Not every prayer that a child of God offers is answered immediately. Some prayers are so long in reply that we begin to doubt that they’ve even been heard.

Ah, but don’t give up! The LORD has purpose in all that He does. That food that you wanted and wasn’t available, was ultimately found to have been tainted with poison. That airplane you missed—crashed; and several people were severely injured!

The prophet encourages us by reciting his own situation. He says, “It is good that (we) wait silently for the salvation of the LORD.” You can do that. Remember that “the LORD is good to those who wait for Him…”
Just relax and trust His judgment. He never fails; and He’s always on right on time!

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