The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Isaiah 65:19-23, “I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; And there will no longer be heard in her the voice of weeping and the sound of crying.

20 “No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of one hundred and the one who does not reach the age of one hundred will be thought accursed.

21 “They will build houses and inhabit them; They will also plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

22 “They will not build, and another inhabit; they will not plant, and another eat; For as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, and My chosen ones will wear the work of their hands.

23 “They will not labor in vain, or bear children for calamity; for they are the offspring of those blessed by the LORD, and their descendants with them.”

There’s a lot to be said in these concluding verses. I say “concluding” because so much has been revealed – far more than we can reveal in this short segment. Mankind was denounced in the first 35 verses of this Isaiah passage. The LORD then points to one man: Hezekiah, who has not been faithful. Yet, in the third section of the book of Isaiah, the LORD speaks of a “special people,” whom He will comfort, by means of a special Prince, the LORD Jesus, whom He identifies in chapter 49.

Together, at the nail-scarred feet of our LORD Jesus, we will all bow in humble worship. Is that not something beautiful? We tend to overlook and excuse our sin. “Oh, it’s just a little thing,” we say. Yet, the omitted confession of the least sin will stifle glory on that most eventful day ever with Jesus!

Let’s take inventory of our lives today and fervently, humbly, confess them. The LORD promises to forgive. That will prepare us to meet Him on that glorious day!

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

Dear Grands,

2 Corinthians 7:8-10, “For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it– for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while–

9 I now rejoice, not that you were made sorrowful, but that you were made sorrowful to the point of repentance; for you were made sorrowful according to the will of God, so that you might not suffer loss in anything through us.

10 For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.”

Do you have any regrets in your life? I do. I regret not having kept up with the piano. With parents who were musically gifted, I fell naturally into music. I played and sang into my teenage years when college and “extra-curricular” activities nudged me somewhat away from music. I never reached the genius level of my sister, Carol. She still plays; but I live in the regret that I omitted that talent for the want of what I then deemed something “better.”

I have always enjoyed reading. However, my regret lies in those neglected areas of that discipline. With the help of the Internet, I have now acquired some of those neglected books and am seeking to make up for lost time. How I would have utilized that knowledge in previous years! But, alas, those days will never come again – at least, they will be absent of the opportunities that I have missed.

Regret causes sorrow at both ends of any conversation. We may think we are important; yet, others may have a different idea about us. Make today your first day of communication with an old friend. Neither of you will ever regret it.

Why not telephone someone today – someone with whom you’ve not spoken for some time? The chances are they will be delighted to hear from you! Ask questions that pertain to them. Don’t talk about yourself. They’ll ask about you. Then you can say what you please. Have a great time! Your own day will be better for it; and so will theirs!

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