The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Lamentations 3:14-22, “I have become a laughingstock to all my people, their mocking song all the day. 15 He has filled me with bitterness, He has made me drunk with wormwood. 16 And He has broken my teeth with gravel; He has made me cower in the dust. 17 And 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 Thy faithfulness.”

Be honest! Have you ever felt like Jeremiah in verses 14-23? Well, maybe not exactly like Jeremiah, but quite closely to the description above. Things have gone wrong in your life. You’re not sure what caused the problem—or how it might be resolved. You’ve prayed earnestly to the LORD about it all, but He has either not replied or responded with words that you did not desire to hear. Truthfully, everything seems to have gone wrong! And while we’re at it, why do things like this have to happen to us, anyway? Is He not LORD of all? Could He not correct what is broken?

It’s easy to blame others for our sins! We know the LORD is ultimately in charge. The problem is we hate to admit that we are the ones who have “done wrong.” We’ve forgotten the Scripture that says, “…behold, you have sinned against the LORD, and be sure your sin will find you out” (Num. 32:23).

The mere awareness of sin in our lives should drive us to prayerful repentance! Our responsibility is to exalt the LORD Jesus Christ, not affix blame. “Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name” (Psalm 103:1).

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

“We will never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.”

– Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Jeremiah 5:22-29, “’Do you not fear Me?’ declares the LORD. ‘Do you not tremble in My presence? For I have placed the sand as a boundary for the sea, an eternal decree, so it cannot cross over it. Though the waves toss, yet they cannot prevail; though they roar, yet they cannot cross over it.

23 ‘But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and departed.

24 They do not say in their heart, ‘Let us now fear the LORD our God, Who gives rain in its season, both the autumn rain and the spring rain, Who keeps for us the appointed weeks of the harvest.’

25 ‘Your iniquities have turned these away, and your sins have withheld good from you.

26 ‘For wicked men are found among My people; they watch like fowlers, lying in wait; they set a trap, they catch men….’

29 ‘Shall I not punish these people?’ declares the LORD, ‘On a nation such as this shall I not avenge Myself?’‘

What is it that makes us think we’re “special” in God’s sight? It is true that the nations whose people can read this GRANDS LETTER are nations that have known the blessings of the LORD. Yet, that is not to say that those receptive nations were at any time deserving of God’s blessings. We often – too often – believe ourselves to have “favored nation status” with the LORD. It’s a proud and haughty people who hold that view! The LORD possesses His own reasons for blessing nations – reasons He carefully keeps to Himself.

Let us behave ourselves and glorify Him! Surely, He will then continue to forgive and bless us and enable us to reach others for Him! We need to be a people of love and of prayer. Do you know Him? If you do, you ought to be praying for those who don’t and seeking to share His love with them?

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

“We will never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.”

– Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Isaiah 1:16-20, “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Remove the evil of your deeds from My sight. Cease to do evil,

17 Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless; Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow.

18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” says the LORD, “Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.

19 “If you consent and obey, you will eat the best of the land;

20 “But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword. Truly, the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

Were you ever turned away from the dinner table because you had neglected to wash your hands? Did you ever have a teacher or a boss who told you quite sternly that you didn’t know as much as you thought you did? You wanted to reply and explain, but you were not allowed to speak!

Those things come to mind when I read the above passage from Isaiah. We sometimes become so engrossed in secular and/or sinful things that we are not properly attired to even kneel in the LORD’s presence, let alone utter words in prayer. I’ve experienced that. Have you?

Let me suggest that you read again the passage noted above. The LORD will help us if we prayerfully repent. Human parents don’t want to punish us for doing wrong; neither does the LORD. He loves to forgive us, but we must faithfully “wash our hands” first.

I checked, and mine were a bit dirty; how about yours?

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

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

Dear Grands,

Song of Solomon 8:4-7, “I want you to swear, O daughters of Jerusalem, Do not arouse or awaken my love, until she pleases.”

5 “Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning on her beloved?” “Beneath the apple tree I awakened you; there your mother was in labor with you, there she was in labor and gave you birth.

6 “Put me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, jealousy is as severe as Sheol; its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD.

7 “Many waters cannot quench love, nor will rivers overflow it; if a man were to give all the riches of his house for love, it would be utterly despised.”

Some of you readers may be surprised that I have elected to include a selection from the Song of Solomon in today’s Scriptural reading. Some may also be surprised that many believers today (and of centuries past) have ignored the book altogether, inasmuch as the wording gives itself to what many would term licentious. Yet, we, who are adult believers, should respect it and its placement in Scripture, as being the will of God; otherwise, it would not rest at all within Holy Writ.

It must be admitted, however, that Christian couples who immerse themselves often in this volume would keep those early days of married life alive and meaningful.

Christian believers, however, while admitting that portions of this book are difficult to read publicly, are, nevertheless, a clearly a part of Scripture as are the Gospels of the New Testament. By the way, when did you last hear a Sunday sermon from the Song of Solomon?

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

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

Dear Grands,

Ecclesiastes 1:1-10, “The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.

2 ‘Vanity of vanities,’ says the Preacher, ‘Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.’

3 What advantage does man have in all his work which he does under the sun?

4 A generation goes and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.

5 Also, the sun rises and the sun sets; and hastening to its place, it rises there again.

6 Blowing toward the south, then turning toward the north, the wind continues swirling along; and on its circular courses the wind returns.

7 All the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, there they flow again.

8 All things are wearisome; man is not able to tell it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor is the ear filled with hearing.

9 That which has been is that which will be, and that which has been done is that which will be done. So, there is nothing new under the sun.

10 Is there anything of which one might say, ‘See this, it is new’? Already it has existed for ages which were before us.”

These words of Solomon remind me of a word my grandmother used when someone had said or done something they shouldn’t have. It was the word “comeuppance.” It’s not a popular word today, but it was with my grandmother. It’s without a doubt that Solomon and those of his day clearly understood its meaning.

What Solomon encountered in science, philosophy, wisdom, pleasure, materialism, and morality (to name but a few), he discovered to be totally unsatisfactory. Life itself is from God, and no one but God Himself can or will ever satisfy us. As it was with Solomon, so it is with us. Yield your whole life to Jesus! Confess your sins to Him in prayer. He alone will bring to you the comfort and warmth of love. There’s not a friend anywhere like Him!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

“We will never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.”

– Corrie ten Boom