The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Psalm 66:8-14, “Bless our God, O peoples, And sound His praise abroad,

9 Who keeps us in life, And does not allow our feet to slip.

10 For Thou hast tried us, O God; Thou hast refined us as silver is refined.

11 Thou didst bring us into the net; Thou didst lay an oppressive burden upon our loins.

12 Thou didst make men ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water; Yet Thou didst bring us out into a place of abundance.

13 I shall come into Thy house with burnt offerings; I shall pay Thee my vows,

14 Which my lips uttered And my mouth spoke when I was in distress.”

Nana and I were in a medical facility the other day, waiting for a

procedure. An elderly woman came from an inner room, using a

walker. I noticed that she would need help at the door, so I simply

arose and went to the door and held it open so she could exit. It

was really nothing, yet she said “Thank you” several times. As I

thought on this incident, I couldn’t help but wonder how many

times I’ve forgotten to say “Thank you.” Not many, I trust.

In the verses of this psalm, the writer praises the LORD and urges

others to do the same. He notes that he has been through the

proverbial “fire,” where people have strenuously opposed him.

He notes that he has been severely oppressed in virtually every

possible way. Moreover, he says that the LORD has been

responsible for leading him into and through these violent

experiences before bringing him safely out. What the psalmist

does not forget is to say, “Thank You, LORD.” He states it clearly:

“I shall pay Thee my vows, which my lips uttered and my mouth

spoke when I was in distress.”

Far too often, we fail to understand why the LORD puts us into

difficult situations. We also often cry out to Him for deliverance,

and promise Him many things. Yet, when we are delivered, we

forget our promises and act as if we saved ourselves. Shame!

In the concluding two verses of this psalm, he repeats, “But

certainly, God has heard; He has given heed to the voice of

my prayer. Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my

prayer, nor His lovingkindness from me.”

We thank you for all your prayers for us! The LORD is hearing!

We love and care for you all,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

Psalm 51:1-4, “Be gracious to me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness;

According to the greatness of Thy compassion blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me.

4 Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned, And done what is evil in Thy sight,

So that Thou art justified when Thou dost speak, And blameless when Thou

dost judge.”

David the king had sinned. His lust for Bathsheba led him into adultery.

His adultery led him to murder Bathsheba’s husband, so he could have

her. But David was tormented within himself because of his sin. The LORD

used Nathan the prophet to provoke David to repent. The LORD also took

the life of the illegitimate child, leading to David’s prayer for forgiveness.

Verses one through three reveal the desperation of David’s heart. He deeply

regrets all the wrong he has done, but he cannot rid himself of his sin. He cries

out for the LORD’s mercy and forgiveness. Then in verse four, he says an

amazing thing: “Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned…” To be sure, David

had sinned against Bathsheba; he had sinned against Uriah, her husband; still,

he insists that his sin is basically against God. Think about that. Every sin we

commit affects others; but all sin is first and foremost against the LORD!

When we accepted Jesus Christ as LORD and Savior of our lives, we committed

ourselves to Him. And when we sin, our sin is always viewed as against Him!

Remember that it was He who died on the Cross for our sin. Before the Cross,

Jesus had never known sin. He freely took our sin upon Himself that we might

have eternal life. Sin can be forgiven; but there are severe consequences we

experience when we sin. God loves us; but, as a loving parent punishes a child

for the child’s own good, God punishes us, so we will not repeat the sin which

He died to put away. Confess your sin quickly! He can and will forgive you.

Our love and prayers for you ascend daily. Please keep us in your prayers,

as well.

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

Psalm 33:1-5, “Sing for joy in the LORD, O you righteous ones; Praise is becoming to the upright. 2 Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; Sing praises to Him with a harp of ten strings. 3 Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy. 4 For the word of the LORD is upright; And all His work is done in faithfulness. 5 He loves righteousness and justice; The Earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD.”

Psalm 33:6, “By the Word of the LORD the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host.”

Psalm 33:20, “Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield.”

This psalm comes to us in three parts: First, there is praise to the LORD (vv. 1-5). Second, there is the power of the LORD (vv. 6-12). Third, there is the preservation

from the LORD (vv. 13-22). I’ve selected seven key verses that I trust will cover

the entire meaning.

Previously, we’ve spoken about troubles. This psalm dispels all trouble.

When we walk through the dark, we SING to keep up our courage. The

psalmist encourages us to sing praises to the LORD all the time! Keep

a good thought. Don’t allow Satan or the flesh to move our minds off

of the LORD Jesus. Nothing happens outside of His knowledge. Just

keep focused on Him and praise Him for all things.

The power is the LORD’s. He exercises it against all that is opposed

to those who are His. And how does He know who are His? They

are the ones singing His praises. What power He possesses!! He

formed the Earth and the heavens and all that is within them. Why

is the psalmist calling our attention to this? He is emphasizing that

the LORD who created everything also controls everything in the

affairs of men and nations.

Finally, the psalmist assures us of the LORD’s preservation of us.

It hardly seems necessary that he would point that out, since it

goes without saying that the LORD is able to protect us from evil.

Yet, we often forget, for we become focused on the trouble,

rather than on the One who can preserve us. Let me encourage

you to read the whole of this psalm carefully. Your heart will be

blessed and you will be singing His praises!

God bless you abundantly! We love and pray for you always,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

Psalm 34:4-7, “I sought the LORD, and He answered me,

And delivered me from all my fears. 5 They looked to Him

and were radiant, And their faces shall never be ashamed.

6 This poor man cried and the LORD heard him, And saved

him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the LORD encamps

around those who fear Him, And rescues them.”

It is possible that no one faces more severe trouble than

missionaries. In many instances, missionaries have to change

everything in their lives: food, living conditions, language –

everything! Moreover, the native peoples whom they seek

to convert to faith in Jesus Christ often confront them with

ancient superstitions (demonic activities) that threaten

their very lives.

I remember such an account that was told to me in Australia.

Hostile tribes were threatening the missionaries. They were

vicious warriors that were determined to eradicate them

completely. The missionaries had only one defense: Prayer

to the LORD. When the trouble eventually subsided, one of

the missionaries asked a native warrior, “Why did you stop

your attack? You knew we were vulnerable.” The warrior

replied, “We came to destroy you, but white warriors

surrounded your camp, and we were afraid.” There were

no visible “white warriors” protecting the missionaries; but

they remembered the verse, “The angel of the LORD encamps

around those who fear Him, And He rescues them.” Indeed,

the LORD had sent His angels and surrounded the mission

compound!

Whatever fears or trouble you encounter, the LORD stands

ready and willing to deliver you. Live always for Him! Live

in His Word daily! Confess your sins when you are tempted!

Live righteously! He loves you more than you know. And He

will deliver you!

We love you and pray for you every day. Please pray for us,

too. We continue to face some health issues.

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”

Dear Grands,

Psalm 32:1-5, “How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,

Whose sin is covered! 2 How blessed is the man to whom the LORD

does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit!

3 When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away Through my

groaning all day long. 4 For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me;

My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah.

5 I acknowledged my sin to Thee, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said,

‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD’; And Thou didst forgive

the guilt of my sin. Selah.”

Have you ever engaged in something for which you felt guilty? It drove

you wildly inside yourself until it was confessed and forgiven. David,

the author of this Psalm, had committed adultery and murder, which

led to a cover-up of both. And for a whole year the LORD had held

him in condemnation. He was a prisoner of his sin. And those sins worked

on him inwardly until he could hardly stand it. One author says of this,

“He who does not in confession pour out all his corruption before God,

only tortures himself until he unburdens himself of his secret curse.”

Our flesh, however, seeks to cover up our sins; still, the more David

resisted confessing, the louder his conscience spoke; and while it was

not in his power to silence this inward voice, for it was the wrath of God

speaking, he cried the whole day for help. But while his heart was still

not broken, he kept crying, but received no answer. He cried profusely

because God’s punishment pressed heavily upon him day and night. David

felt the weight of the LORD’s divine wrath. He had no rest. Further, a fire

burned within him which threatened completely to devour him. Ever had

an experience like that? If you have, you understand David’s dilemma. If

you haven’t, thank the LORD and stay out of sin’s pitfalls. They look

exciting and delicious, but they are the pitfalls of sorrow and destruction.

In the end, David surrendered. “I will confess my transgressions to the

LORD,” he said; and the LORD forgave the guilt of his sin. The word Selah

means: Stop and think and consider all of this. We would all do well to

do that very thing.

Our Love and Prayers for you continue daily,

Nana & Dado III

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas

“We never know that God is all we need

until He becomes all that we have.”