The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Psalm 37:1-11, “Do not fret because of evildoers, be not envious toward wrongdoers.
2 For they will wither quickly like the grass and fade like the green herb.
3 Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday.
7 Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers
in his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath; do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.
9 For evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land.
10 Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more; and you will look carefully for his
place and he will not be there.
11 But the humble will inherit the land and will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.”

I received a ton of instructions when I was young! My mother was a teacher—at home as well as at school. What’s more, she told me what to do and what not to do on just about everything. It was not a force; it was excellent instruction. Ultimately, I learned that she knew what was good for me and what wasn’t. My only regret is not having obeyed in every instance.

David sets forth some worthwhile instructions, too. “Don’t get upset; don’t envy others; don’t get angry. Those don’t help one little bit! Trust in the LORD; cultivate faithfulness; delight yourself in the LORD; commit your ways to the LORD; rest in the LORD; wait patiently for Him to respond to your prayers. Mom pointed it all out right from the Bible! In time, I learned the value of her instruction. I also learned to look to the Bible’s instruction.

Let me encourage you to look there, too! It will serve you well and save you from a host of hurt.

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,

1 Peter 1:3-9, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

4 to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,

5 who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials,

7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold, which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,

9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.”

Nothing outside of the LORD Jesus Christ was truly hopeful in the last days of Simon Peter. Yet, if he were at all discouraged, it was virtually impossible to observe it. He speaks of the “living hope” that all born-again people have through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is an “imperishable” hope that is bequeathed to all true believers.

Further still, it is the true believers who are “protected by the power of God.” They have been spiritually born again and now enjoy the security of the LORD’s protection. Then why are they still subjected to “various trials”? It is simply another proof-test of their faith, as well as that of the LORD’s divine, custodial power. What a Savior we have! Now, live for Him and share Him with those who need Him but have yet to accept Him.

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,

Nahum 1:1-7, “The oracle of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

2 A jealous and avenging God is the LORD; the LORD is avenging and wrathful. The LORD takes vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies.

3 The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and the LORD will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. In whirlwind and storm is His way, and clouds are the dust beneath His feet.

4 He rebukes the sea and makes it dry; He dries up all the rivers. Bashan and Carmel wither; the blossoms of Lebanon wither.

5 Mountains quake because of Him and the hills dissolve; indeed, the earth is upheaved by His presence, the world and all the inhabitants in it.

6 Who can stand before His indignation? Who can endure the burning of His anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken up by Him.

7 The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows those who take refuge in Him.”

We would do well to learn what the prophet Nahum says of the LORD. His description of the LORD says that He is “good, a stronghold in the day of trouble.” Inasmuch as He possesses anger and enormous power, He is able to take vengeance on His adversaries and those of His people. The LORD is good, but as a loving parent, He is also a stronghold for His people in the days of their trouble. Thus, to mess with His people is to mess with Him.

It is comforting to know that the LORD continues to be the Loving Protector of His people. Thus, it is good for us—as for all mankind—to yield to Him in all matters that come our way. We need a strong adversary; and there is none more powerful, more available, or more loving than the LORD Jesus Christ.

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,

Micah 7:2-8, “The godly person has perished from the land, and there is no upright person among men. All of them lie in wait for bloodshed; each of them hunts the other with a net.

3 Concerning evil, both hands do it well. The prince asks, also the judge, for a bribe, and a great man speaks the desire of his soul; so they weave it together.

4 The best of them is like a briar, the most upright like a thorn hedge. The day when you post your watchmen, your punishment will come. Then their confusion will occur.

5 Do not trust in a neighbor; do not have confidence in a friend. From her who lies in your bosom guard your lips.

6 For son treats father contemptuously, daughter rises up against her mother, daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own household.

7 But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.

8 Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy. Though I fall I will rise; though I dwell in darkness, the LORD is a light for me.”

What the prophet Micah writes reads like today’s newspaper; namely, that those who are law-abiding are fewer in number than those who delight in breaking the law. What’s more, many who are elected and employed to put down crime are often behind doing what they were elected to erase.

Micah, however, is determined to resist the evil that surrounds him. Furthermore, his ultimate resistance lies squarely on the LORD. That is precisely where our resistance should originate. We should pray earnestly for those who are elected to protect us. We should support them by resisting cooperation with even the evil that seeks to affect us.

The LORD’s Word says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6). May He enable us all to love Him and resist all evil.

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,

Judges 18:1-6, “In those days there was no king of Israel; and in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking an inheritance for themselves to live in, for until that day an inheritance had not been allotted to them as a possession among the tribes of Israel.

2 So the sons of Dan sent from their family five men out of their whole number, valiant men from Zorah and Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to search it; and they said to them, ‘Go, search the land.’ And they came to the hill country of Ephraim, to the house of Micah, and lodged there.

3 When they were near the house of Micah, they recognized the voice of the young man, the Levite; and they turned aside there and said to him, ‘Who brought you here? And what are you doing in this place? And what do you have here?’

4 He said to them, ‘Thus and so has Micah done to me, and he has hired me, and I have become his priest.’

5 They said to him, ‘Inquire of God, please, that we may know whether our way on which we are going will be prosperous.’

6 The priest said to them, ‘Go in peace; your way in which you are going has the LORD’S approval.’”

Things were quite different in those days. Yet, some things never change. It was not wrong for the Danites to seek a place to live as an inheritance. It also seems quite normal that they should ask someone to make an inquiry of the LORD as to whether they were going in the right direction and whether they would enjoy the approval of the LORD.

It’s always a point of wisdom to make inquiries in areas that are unknown to us. Quite often, I have wasted time and energy hunting for a place without seeking directions from someone living in the area. Doubtlessly, these men were weary from long travel.

Moreover, they were seeking “the approval of the LORD.” Proper motivation is an absolute necessity when we pursue anything, especially when it concerns something of spiritual value.

Often, our quests are more in the interest of personal rather than spiritual value. Always be certain that your pursuits are ordered by and intended for the honor and glory of the LORD!

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