The Grands Letter

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

Dear Grands,

Joel 2:1-6, “Blow a trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, For the day of the LORD is coming; Surely it is near…” 2 A day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness. As the dawn is spread over the mountains, So there is a great and mighty people; There has never been anything like it, Nor will there be again after it To the years of many generations. 3 A fire consumes before them, And behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them, But a desolate wilderness behind them, and nothing at all escapes them. 4 Their appearance is like the appearance of horses; and like war horses, so they run. 5 With a noise as of chariots they leap on the tops of the mountains, like the crackling of a flame of fire consuming the stubble, like a mighty people arranged for battle. 6 Before them the people are in anguish; all faces turn pale.”

If you ever experience a dark and dismal day, and if you have wished for something better, you might do well to read the book of Joel. We tend to treat our dismal days as unique. But they are not unique! Bad days have always been before us, just as they were in the days of our ancestors.

The difference between a “good” day and a “dismal” day is whether our focus is upon the circumstances of life or upon the LORD who controls the circumstances. Focus is not only a key word; it is often placed there by the LORD in order to rearrange our thinking.

If we accurately assess the presence of the LORD in even the worst possible situation, we can yet fully depend upon Him either to rescue us or reveal His purpose in allowing the discomforting encounter. In either situation, we should be comforted by His loving presence and ultimate rescue.

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,

Nehemiah 2:1-9, And it came about in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, that wine was before him, and I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. 2 So the king said to me, “Why is your face sad though you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.” Then I was very much afraid. 3 I said to the king, “Let the king live forever. Why should my face not be sad when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies desolate and its gates have been consumed by fire?” 4 Then the king said to me, “What would you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 I said to the king, “If it please the king, and if your servant has found favor before you, send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.”

It was a simple request, and an easy one because Nehemiah and his king were friends. At the same time, it was a selfless request. Nehemiah’s countrymen were in a foreign land, while Nehemiah was living safely under the legal watchcare of his friend the king.

It’s not difficult to ask a favor of the LORD Jesus Christ if we are living according to His Word. If we are not living according to His Word, it is hardly prudent to ask anything of Him other than His forgiveness for our sin. What sin is hindering your request of the LORD Jesus Christ?

If you know and belong to Him, you should not fear to request anything. Yet, if your life is not pleasing to Him, getting things into spiritual order is the only means of gaining His favor. Why not start that procedure 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

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.”

Have you ever known a person so well wrapped up in the warmth of love and kindness that you doubted he could ever become angry over anything? I’ve thought I’d known a few, but in a short time, I learned how mistaken I’d been. Yes, everyone is susceptible to anger; it’s just that some conceal their feelings better than others.

Anger itself, however, is not always wrong. Our passage above assures us that the LORD is sometimes angry. We would do well to avoid things that cause Him anger! Four of six verses in Jeremiah speak of the LORD as possessing anger! Yes, the LORD Himself exhibits anger – righteous anger. Yet, still, the anger He displays is the righteous side of His Love. May He help us all to honor Him in Love!

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