The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Genesis 12:1-3, “Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you;
2 And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great; and so you shall be a blessing;
3 And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.’”

It has well been said that “there’s no place like home.” Home, of course, includes more than
a house; it’s the people that live there, the family. But, what would you do if officials of your local government were to order you to vacate your house and move elsewhere? My guess is that you would immediately contact an attorney.

But what if it were the LORD who ordered you to vacate your abode along with all the many collectibles you had accumulated over the years? Leaving behind all of your possessions is not an easy thought. What the LORD said to Abram, however, was tougher still. He ordered him to
leave his entire family, his country, and move to a distant land. It was an exceedingly tough commission.

At the same time, it encompassed a huge, divine promise! The LORD promised to make Abram a great nation with multiple blessings. Further, Abram was to be a blessing to those
who currently lived in the land. But, what about those already in the land, and who opposed Abram’s residence? The LORD promised to deal appropriately with them.

My family and I know what it is to be called to leave home and live and work in another land.
Some aspects of that calling were quite difficult. At the same time, we belonged to the LORD,
so it was encumbent upon us to do as He had commissioned us. There were indeed a host of
difficulties involved in a move halfway around the world. Yet, the spiritual fruit that we encountered was much more valuable than we could ever have anticipated.

The LORD always knows what is best. Furthermore, He loves His own and provides and protects according to His promise. Don’t ever be afraid of adhering to His calls. There are
five “blessings” alone in our passage above. Apart from the scores of persons that we witnessed as being blessed of the LORD, there remain many more whose friendships we will cherish until we meet again in Glory! “It will be worth it all when we see Jesus!”

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