The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

3 John 1:1-4, “The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.
2 Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.
3 For I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth.
4 I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.”

Remember when you were a child at Christmastime, or when your parents had birthdays? What a joy it was to honor them with a small gift. As we age, we learn that what we had to give them was not all that important. What was important, was seeing them smiling, as if our tiny gifts were the most precious possessions in the world!

Have you ever considered that it is possible to please Almighty God? If John had not believed it were possible, he would never have written this letter. When we were small, even the smallest gift to our parents seemed enormous to us! We could hardly wait for them to open their gifts!

As we grew older, we learned that the finest gift we could possibly give to our parents was love and obedience. “You’re the spittin’ image of your dad,” was a thrill to hear! As time passed and we grew into adulthood, what we learned to desire most was not a mere physical gift, but love and devotion.

Our Heavenly Father desires the same. It’s not that what we do is not of importance to Him; rather, it’s what we are! As we read and study His Word,
we become more and more like Him! That’s what He wants! His Word teaches us, that what He was to His disciples, He longs to be to us!

But how does this happen? It doesn’t just “happen!” It’s an inward, spiritual development that comes through a serious focus on His Life. You know people like that. You just can’t figure out how they can be so physically sick, yet make you feel so spiritually strong when you visit them. Their demeanor has its root in their closeness to Christ. Perhaps there’s a hint in this old, old song, composed by Howard Grose. Meditate on these words:

Give of your best to the Master;
Give of the strength of your youth;
Clad in salvation’s full armor,
Join in the battle for truth.

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