The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Psalm 146:1-10, “Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!

2 I will praise the LORD while I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

3 Do not trust in princes, In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation.

4 His spirit departs, he returns to the earth; In that very day his thoughts perish.

5 How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, Whose hope is in the LORD his God;

6 Who made heaven and earth, The sea and all that is in them; Who keeps faith forever;

7 Who executes justice for the oppressed; Who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets

the prisoners free.

8 The LORD opens the eyes of the blind; The LORD raises up those who are bowed down;

The LORD loves the righteous;

9 The LORD protects the strangers; He supports the fatherless and the widow; But He thwarts

the way of the wicked.

10 The LORD will reign forever, Thy God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD!

It is true, is it not, that the focus of our lives is more upon trouble than upon triumph? The

daily flow of news is more about what is wrong in our world than what is right. I seem to

recall a newspaper that some years ago determined to print only good things, but it went

out of circulation, due to the loss of readership.

It is true that the Bible itself contains some bad things, but it never promotes them; it simply

cites how evil came to be and why the LORD sent His Son, Jesus, to pay the penalty for

man who embraces evil instead of good. Yet, the overall emphasis of Holy Scripture is on

the LORD and how He wills for all mankind to embrace Him and His truths as in Scripture.

In the verses above, David commences with praise to the LORD (vv. 1-2). He then warns

us against trusting in mortal men, who themselves are not only unable to save others, but

have need of salvation themselves (vv. 3-4). This might even apply to what others write

concerning the meaning of Scripture. I’ve written a lot of stuff about the Bible, but nothing

I or anyone else has written is more beneficial to a reader than the Scripture itself. That is

why the majority of verses in this psalm (vv. 5-10) involve what the LORD has done and

is doing in our lives. He alone is to be praised for all His love and benefits toward man.

There is no end –no death—to the LORD! His nature is eternal, and His love never

ceases! How can we not with the psalmist shout: “Praise the LORD”?

We love and pray for your daily; He loves and provides for you daily,

Nana & Dado III

(Rose Marie & Gene)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

Psalm 143:1-6, “Hear my prayer, O LORD, Give ear to my supplications!

Answer me in Thy faithfulness, in Thy righteousness!

2 And do not enter into judgment with Thy servant,

For in Thy sight no man living is righteous.

3 For the enemy has persecuted my soul;

He has crushed my life to the ground;

He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead.

4 Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me;

My heart is appalled within me.

5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Thy doings;

I muse on the work of Thy hands.

6 I stretch out my hands to Thee; My soul longs for Thee, as a parched land.”

The prayers of David are like refreshing water to a thirsty soul. He does not

claim to be righteous; he allows that only God is truly righteous. Thus, he begs

not to be judged because he knows he would lose. Still, he needs help. He has

enemies, and he is being persecuted to the very depths of his being. He feels

like a dead man. He is overwhelmed, destitute. What can he do? Is there an

answer –a way out of this dilemma?

Ever have an experience like that? I imagine that you have. I know I have. I’ve

been faced with situations so serious that death would have seemed a haven of

rescue. Instead of despair, we need to “remember the days of old.” We need to

look back and recall how the LORD rescued us. We need to focus on Him and

His love, His power, His delivereces!

There are too many to list here, but my life has been spared, when it could

easliy been snuffed out. When trouble come now, I look back on those days

and remember how faithful the LORD was in those situations. He is no less

powerful, no less loving, no less faithful now than then! So, I continue to call

upon Him for help.

One of those situations in which the LORD was faithful to David occurred back

In First Chronicles 21:10-13. David had sinned; Gad, the prophet of the LORD,

came to David with the LORD’s offer. He could either endure three years of famine,

or three months of fighting with his enemies, or three days of pestilence with the

“sword of the LORD” raging throughout the land. David’s answer was: “…let me

fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are very great.”

The lesson here, of course, is not to sin against the LORD. Yet, when we do

(and we all do!), we should cry out to Him in true repentance. His mercies are

lovingly available to us, just as they were to David. How faithful the LORD is!

Praise His Holy Name!

We continue to pray for you, and humbly solicit your prayers for us,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

Psalm 139:1-6, “O Lord, Thou hast searched me and known me.

2 Thou dost know when I sit down and when I rise up;

Thou dost understand my thought from afar.

3 Thou dost scrutinize my path and my lying down,

And art intimately acquainted with all my ways.

4 Even before there is a word on my tongue,

Behold, O LORD , Thou dost know it all.

5 Thou hast enclosed me behind and before,

And laid Thy hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is too high,

I cannot attain to it.”

My dear mother read me like a book! I couldn’t get away with anything!

How did you know? I often asked her, to which she often teasingly replied,

“A little bird told me.” Boy! Was I ever a prisoner of her thoughts! At the

same time, I often discovered that being such a prisoner was to my advantage.

Interestingly, David had the same experience with the LORD. He found himself

“searched” –thoroughly examined—whereby the LORD knew everything about

him, even before it evolved and became known to David. The LORD knew every

path he took and when and where he rested. David could do nothing that the

LORD did not know! Was he thoroughly guarded or what?

I’m reminded of the protection and guidance Paul notes in Galatians 3:24-25:

“…the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ,

that we may be justified by faith.

25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”

A “tutor” (?????????? paidagogos) (the King James says, schoolmaster) was a servant,

who walked with the child to-and-from school and protected him along the way. That’s

precisely what David describes in this 139TH psalm of the Old Testament. We are

never out of His sight. Even before there is a “word on my tongue,” the LORD knows

it all. How’s that for divine protection? There are a lot of things I would never have

said, had I listened intently to this directive and remembered that the LORD was listening.

Let’s all admit it: we need to be constantly aware of the LORD’s all-seeing eyes, and

His all-hearing ears. He is indeed our protector –if only we maintained a focus on Him

Instead of ourselves. May our precious and loving LORD guide and protect you today.

We love and pray for you, much like a “tutor,”

Nana & Dado III

P. S. Rose Marie has been moved to the Jamestown Rehab facility in Rogers. She is recuperating

nicely, and just needs to regain her strength. Jamestown is a lovely facility, and already I

have discovered people there with a great sense of humor. ?? Please do keep her in your

prayers.

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

Psalm 121:1-8, “I Will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From whence shall my help come?

2 My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber.

4 Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand.

6 The sun will not smite you by day, Nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul.

8 The LORD will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever.”

“Help” is a universal word. It has been so since the beginning of time. It is expressed loudly and continuously in the hope that someone will respond and come to our rescue. Even those who

deny God and any help He might give, often cry out to Him in desperation as their last hopeful

source of deliverence.

What exactly David was experiencing when he penned this psalm, we do not know. What we are

told is that he believed in the LORD and viewed Him as his only true sourse of deliverence. God

created the Heavens and the Earth; therefore, who better to call upon when we are in need? He

is our protector, our preserver. He will not allow us to slip or stumble. What’s more, He never sleeps!

The LORD preserves our lives from all dangers. He is our ultimate protector against all things —

thngs that invade our minds and our lives with thoughts and activities that are contrary to His will.

Our cries for help are always heard. The LORD said to Jeremiah, “’Call to Me, and I will

answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know” (Jer. 33:3). So,

when you are in desperate need, make the LORD your first call. He always answers positively

to those who are His and are seeking to live as He directs.

We love and pray for you daily,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

Psalm 119:9-16, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Thy word.

10 With all my heart I have sought Thee; Do not let me wander from Thy commandments.

11 Thy word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against Thee.

12 Blessed art Thou, O LORD; Teach me Thy statutes.

13 With my lips I have told of All the ordinances of Thy mouth.

14 I have rejoiced in the way of Thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.

15 I will meditate on Thy precepts, and regard Thy ways.

16 I shall delight in Thy statutes; I shall not forget Thy word.”

Leaving the hospital last night, I encountered a young lady, whose mother had had back surgery.

We chatted a few moments in the chill of the night, and I learned that she and her mother were

Christians. As she spoke, I noted some differences in our spiritual beliefs, I but emphasized only

the The Word! On that and prayer we most heartily agreed.

Nine times in the eight verses above, the psalmist emphasizes The Word of God. Although

David lived long before the prophet Isaiah, he doubtlessly believed what Isaiah said.

So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth;

It shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire,

And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it” (Isa. 55:11).

I am learning to emphasize The Word –the Bible—as the major factor in witnessing. Oh, yes,

I speak freely of the LORD Jesus Christ, but it is the Bible that carries His Truth to the human

Heart. It does not fail. No one can successfully ignore or debate against the Bible. It is His

Word and it will ultimately accomplish everything He desires in man’s decadent heart.

Nationalities, too, are a segue into spiritual things. One doctor shares nationality with someone

I know. I used their common ancestry to share a minimal witness. His remembrance of what I

said is up to the LORD. We cannot do everything every time. But we must do everything we

can every time we have opportunity. The Word of the LORD will do the rest.

Study the color-coding in our verses above. Meet other people with their spiritual needs in

mind. You may meet resistance; but the LORD will not allow them to forget your love and

concern. Our attitude and kindness will not be forgotten. The rest is up to the LORD.

We love and pray for you daily,

Nana & Dado III

P. S. Rose Marie had an electrophysiology study yesterday, and she is in NO need of a defibulator

or a pacemaker. She is “on the mend!” We thank you for your prayers and urge you to continue

to remember her as you remember others.

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”