The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Psalm 31:19-20, “How great is Thy goodness, Which Thou hast stored up for those who fear Thee, Which Thou hast wrought for those who take refuge in Thee, Before the sons of men!

20 Thou dost hide them in the secret place of Thy presence from the conspiracies of man; Thou dost keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues.”

Fear is common to all humanity. It comes to us in a variety of ways. Sometimes it is the fear of

circumstances; sometimes it is the fear of people themselves. But there is nothing of which we should be afraid!

What is there that is greater than the goodness of God? Name one thing! See there, you cannot do it.

You cannot name one simple thing that is greater than the goodness of God. The goodness of the LORD is infinte and sufficient for everyone. It is like an eternal fountain of cool, refreshing water –a fountain that nevers dries up. And it’s there ready and proportioned for everyone who trusts in Him.

The promises of the LORD to which the psalmist refers are for those who are hidden with Christ in God.

Their enemies cannot discover this hiding place of God because it is known only to those who love Him and fellowship with Him. What is even more wonderful is that these promises are revealed to us in

God’s own time. Rescue is greater when the danger has been greater; thus, He allows us to experience the danger so that we can rejoice in His deliverence! And all of it is a secret, revealed to us at the right and proper time. There’s an old hymn by Ellen Goreh that says it all,

In the secret of His presence

How my soul delights to hide!

Oh, how precious are the lessons

Which I learn at Jesus’ side!

Earthly cares can never vex me,

Neither trials lay me low;

For when Satan comes to tempt me,

To the secret place I go.

When my soul is faint and thirsty,
’Neath the shadow of His wing
There is cool and pleasant shelter,
And a fresh and crystal spring;

And my Savior rests beside me,
As we hold communion sweet;
If I tried, I could not utter
What He says when thus we meet.

Only this I know: I tell Him

All my doubts and griefs and fears;

Oh, how patiently He listens!

And my drooping soul He cheers;

Do you think He ne’er reproves me?

What a false friend He would be,

If He never, never told me

Of the sins which He must see.

Would you like to know that sweetness

Of the secret of the LORD?

Go and hide beneath His shadow;

This shall then be your reward;

And when’er you leave the silence

Of that happy meeting-place,

By the Spirit bear the image

Of the Master in your face.

You are ever in our prayers,

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,

John 15:7, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you.”

As a very young boy, I always looked forward to going with my mother to Newman’s Department Store. Mr. Newman, the Jewish owner of the store, always took my hand and guided me through the store where we found shiny coins that were “somehow” dropped on the floor. I never suspected that he placed the coins there for me to find.

Upon our repentance of sin and belief in the LORD Jesus Christ as our Savior, the Holy Spirit comes immediately to dwell within us. It is He, the Spirit, who “whispers” the will of the LORD in our spiritual ears. To hear Him, however, we must be tuned to His frequency. The static of the world seeks to drown out His voice. We must tune out that static by concentrating on His Words.

Only when we live by faith in Him, and His Words are we controlling our conduct and affections. Only then will our prayers be heard. Be attentive to His Word! Read the Bible daily! Focus on Him and what He says! Listen carefully to the voice of His Holy Spirit! Then, be patient. He does not promise immediate discovery of those “shiny coins”; He simply promises that they will be found. I cannot be certain, but I think that even as a small boy when once I found that first “shiny coin,” I looked for more on our next visit to Newman’s Department Store. Do you see what I mean? God bless you, and good hunting!

Our prayers of loving concern for you continue 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 103:2-5, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits;

3 Who pardons all your iniquities; Who heals all your diseases;

4 Who redeems your life from the pit; Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;

5 Who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

6 The LORD performs righteous deeds, and judgments for all who are oppressed.”

When was the last time you took inventory of all the LORD’s blessings? To our shame, we

often pray only when we are in trouble and facing situations over which we have no control.

The psalmist instructs us to bless the LORD in the depts of our souls and to never forget

all the positive things He has done for us.

First, and perhaps foremost, He forgives our sins. Sin always drags us down. It clogs the

channel through which our prayers flow. It’s like that masala I ate in India: so delectable

to the taste, but excruciating to my stomach!

He heals, repairs, our minds and bodies from diseases and pains. He redeems, rescues,

our lives from destruction – things we’ve never considered that would devastate our lives.

He crowns, honors, us by bestowing on us His faithfulness and mercies. He satisfies,

continually supplies, our lives with happiness and joy, so that our youth, early life, is

renewed, restored; He accomplishes, brings about, vindication for all who have been

defrauded and beaten down.

When we consider all the LORD has done for us, how can we not praise and glorify Him?

Count your blessings today! “Submit (yourself) to God. Resist the devil and he will flee

from you” (Jas. 4:7). Praise the LORD for all He is and for all He has given you!

We love you 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,

Acts 27:9-11, “And when considerable time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous, since even the fast was already over, Paul began to admonish them, 10 and said to them, “Men, I perceive that the voyage will certainly be attended with damage and great loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.”

11 But the centurion was more persuaded by the pilot and the captain of the ship, than by what was being said by Paul.”

All travel has the potential of risk. It’s not always airplanes and ships that have risk. Just walking where you’ve walked before has an element of risk. It’s not always possible to know ahead of time what will occur. It just makes sense to be careful in every situation.

Paul was being taken to Rome. He was a prisoner under the care of a Roman centurion. The boat on which they were sailing was as good as any, I suppose. But already they had encountered some strong winds and tough seas. Paul was an out-spoken man. His assessments of situations came the LORD, and he spoke his mind, saying eminent danger lay ahead. Not only were they in danger of losing the ship’s cargo, they were in danger of losing their lives!

We’re not always as perceptive as Paul. Most of the time, we think we can survive and even turn things around. All will be well. But, will it? Whom do we trust in serious situations? Usually, we seek counsel from those who have themselves lived through such dangerous situations. The centurion listened to the pilot, the captain of the ship. That seemed logical. Who would believe that a ship’s captain had not previously encountered dangers on the sea –and survived? Paul, however, lacked the experience of the captain; but, he had a source of information the captain did not have. Moreover, Paul’s “source” cared for his future.

It’s quite normal for us to seek information about potential danger from others. But, do we inquire and listen to God?

Many things only require time. Why do we get in such a hurry? I remember an account of a Japanese man, who was intending to visit a neighboring city. He was mysteriously delayed; and when he came over the hill, he saw that the city had been devastated. It was Nagasaki–1945! Never push the clock. Let the LORD work out the circumstances. To do otherwise is to risk His plan for your life.

You are always in our loving prayers,

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,

James 5:16, “…pray for one another, so that (they) may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”

As I prepared to write this letter to you this morning, I received a prayer request in my inbox. It was from a friend, whose daughter is suffering from seizures. The family is quite anxious, as you would imagine.

So, I’m asking you to join with me in prayer for her healing. We all know what troubles are –especially, troubles of a medical nature. The girl is strong and tells her family that she is glad the trouble is hers and not theirs. But, when trouble strikes a family member, it affects the entire family, doesn’t it?

At this point, I do not know the girl’s name; however, the LORD does! Just pray with us for her healing.

And thank Him for the health you have. Thank you, and God bless you for praying.

We love you all,

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.”