The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Deuteronomy 5:27-29, “Go near and hear all that the LORD our God says; then speak to us all that the LORD our God will speak to you, and we will hear and do it.

28 “And the LORD heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and the LORD said to me, ‘I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They have done well in all that they have spoken.

29 ‘Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me, and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever!”

It took me a few years to completely understand that I was on the “learning end” of the wise counsel of my parents. When I commenced to listen, however, it soon became clear to me that all instructions that came from my parents were my responsibility to obey. I should have learned from the hymn we sang so often: “Trust and Obey.”

Reading this final book of Moses ought to have pierced my soul more rapidly than it did. We are to hear and obey the Words of the LORD before we seek to do anything. To do otherwise is to self-author directives that allow only our weak, human wills to reign supreme.

Israel quite often self-authored her own directives, and she paid dearly for it! We can be thankful that we possess these writings of Moses, for they clearly lead us in the LORD’s right paths. Are you endeavoring today to walk in “these right paths” of the LORD? I hope we both will.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas, USA

“We will never know that Christ is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

– Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Numbers 1:1-4, 17-19, “Then the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, ‘In the tent of meeting, on the first of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the Land of Egypt, saying,

2 ‘Take a census of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, by their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, every male, head by head

3 from twenty years old and upward, whoever is able to go out to war in Israel, you and Aaron shall number them by their armies.

4 “With you, moreover, there shall be a man of each tribe, each one head of his father’s household.

17 So Moses and Aaron took these men who had been designated by name,

18 and they assembled all the congregation together on the first of the second month. Then they registered by ancestry in their families, by their fathers’ households, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, head by head,

19 just as the LORD had commanded Moses. So, he numbered them in the wilderness of Sinai.”

Everything that the LORD does, He does with a purpose. Israel had just come from Egypt, and it was only sensible that there be an accounting of their numbers. Who but the LORD would know what opposition would lie before them?

So it is with us. Each born-again believer in Jesus Christ has an assignment. Some will be quite normal in the sight of others; some will be unique and spectacular! It’s important for us to know what specific assignment the LORD has for each of us. Understandably, and in time, we will come to know the assignments we need to know; nevertheless, our focus must remain on what we are called to do.

Rewards come to those who do their work well. Keep your eyes on the Captain and tend well to His assignment for you.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas, USA

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

– Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Nehemiah 1:6-9, “Let Thine ear now be attentive and Thine eyes open to hear the prayer of Thy servant which I am praying before Thee now, day and night, on behalf of the sons of Israel Thy servants, confessing the sins of the sons of Israel which we have sinned against Thee; I and my father’s house have sinned.

7 “We have acted very corruptly against Thee and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which Thou didst command Thy servant Moses.

8 “Remember the word which Thou didst command Thy servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the peoples;

9 but if you return to Me and keep My commandments and do them, though those of you who have been scattered were in the most remote part of the heavens, I will gather them from there and will bring them to the place where I have chosen to cause My name to dwell.’”

What you have just read is the prayer of a godly man, seeking the attention of Almighty God along with His forgiveness for his sins and the sins of the people. There is no attempt to skip over the sins he and his people have committed. They are aware of the LORD’s willingness to forgive, and they earnestly and sincerely seek it. There is enough of the Scripture contained in this prayer for the LORD to believe Nehemiah’s sincerity and plea for forgiveness. This is how we should pray.

Notice well that the LORD hastens to issue forgiveness. What He did for them, He will do for us. Yet we must be conscientious and sincere in our prayers and in our promises. Do you remember how you first felt after you had been forgiven? The LORD loves to forgive even more. Oh, how the LORD loves to forgive!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

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,

Exodus 2:1-9, “Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a daughter of Levi. 2 And the woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was beautiful, she hid him for three months. 3 But when she could hide him no longer, she got him a wicker basket and covered it over with tar and pitch. Then she put the child into it and set it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile. 4 And his sister stood at a distance to find out what would happen to him. 5 Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the Nile, with her maidens walking alongside the Nile; and she saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid, and she brought it to her. 6 When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the boy was crying. And she had pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” 7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?” 8 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go ahead.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. 9 Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me and I shall give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him.”

It is indeed impossible to read the passage above and miss seeing the Hand of the LORD working for His people. The skill in timing is phenomenal! Undoubtedly, the family knew the time that Pharaoh’s daughter would come to bathe. Moses’ sister, Miriam, watched closely and approached the king’s daughter, suggesting she could find a lady among the Hebrews who would nurse and care for the child.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if things worked like that for us today? Maybe they would if we were as vigilant and as bold as Miriam!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

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,

Genesis 1:1-5, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.

Sooner or later, the origin of all things requires inspection. The Inspector was none other than the Creator Himself. For it was He who said, “Let there be light,” and it was He who, in that instance, brought light into being!

And God saw that the light was good, and God separated the light from the darkness. And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.”

Multiple questions arise regarding this entire episode of creation. What prompted God to engage in creating anything? Knowing everything includes knowing that man would ultimately disobey the LORD’s intention for him. The ultimate introduction of the LORD Jesus Christ was surely on His mind when Job asked his friends, “Can you discover the depths of God? Can you discover the limits of the Almighty?” (Job 11:7).

It goes without saying that there are multiple things that demand our attention, whether or not we understand the factors behind them. What we must understand is that the LORD lives and wants us to yield to Him by renouncing our sin – our disobediences—and accepting Him as the LORD and Savior of our lives. I complied with His will years ago and acknowledged Him as my LORD and Savior. I trust that you have done the same. There is no life comparable to the life with Jesus! I urge you to yield to Him today!

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

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