The Grands Letter (Neh/GLJ)
Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D. on April 21, 2026 4:14 am (CST)
Dear Grands,
Nehemiah 1:1-6, “The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capital,
2 that Hanani, one of my brothers, and some men from Judah came; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped and had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem.
3 They said to me, “The remnant there in the province who survived the captivity are in great distress and reproach, and the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are burned with fire.”
4 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days; and I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
5 I said, “I beseech You, O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who preserves the covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments,
6 let Your ear now be attentive and Your eyes open to hear the prayer of Your servant which I am praying before You now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Your servants, confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against You; I and my father’s house have sinned.”
Did you ever ask a question only to wish you hadn’t? The regret accompanies the answer. This is precisely what Nehemiah discovered. He had asked about his people, yet the answer he received was neither what he expected nor wanted. What is most commendable is that prayer was his initial undertaking.
Far too often, disturbing news prompts us to establish a connection with someone we are certain has complete and helpful information. Still, our first contact ought to be the LORD! Whatever the occurrence, He alone holds the answer in His hands. Prayer ought to be our first line of inquiry. We used to sing it in church: “If you trust and never doubt; He will surely bring you out. Take your burden to the LORD and leave it there.” He is the Answer! He alone knows our needs. Foremost, He is our first line of defense in every situation.
Heartily in Christ,
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
