The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Joshua 1:5-11, “No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you.
6 “Be strong and courageous, for you shall give this people possession of the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
7 “Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go.
8 “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.
9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,
11 “Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you are to cross this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you, to possess it.'”

After 40 years of Moses’ leadership, Joshua is replacing Moses as the physical leader of the Children of Israel. Now, as the Israelites stand before the Jordan River, preparing to enter the Promised Land, the LORD commands Joshua to tell the people: be “strong and corageous.”

Sometimes, we ignore the LORD’s commands, thinking that all courage is required only of the pastoral leadership of the local church. Certainly, the pastor is to give direction and encourage the people; but all courage in any venture lies with the people as well as with the leadership.

All worthy leaders possess courage. If they do not, discouragement fills the ranks of those they seek to lead. At the same time, the ranks must follow courageously, for failure there provokes discouragement in the human leadership.

I often email my pastors what I believe to be encouragment. They need to know that we are praying for them daily. The next time you hear what you assess to be a poorly-studied or poorly-delivered message from the pulpit, my guess is that you’ve not been seriously praying for your pastor. Pastors are leaders; but they are not without the need of congregational prayers and encouragement.

We are directed in Scripture to “meditate on (the Scriptures) day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it, for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.” Making your pastor spiritually prosperous promises to make you spiritually prosperous, too. What can be more desirable than that?

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