The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Psalm 119:25-32, “My soul cleaves to the dust; Revive me according to Thy word.

26 I have told of my ways, and Thou hast answered me; Teach me Thy statutes.

27 Make me understand the way of Thy precepts, So I will meditate on Thy wonders.

28 My soul weeps because of grief; Strengthen me according to Thy word.

29 Remove the false way from me, And graciously grant me Thy law.

30 I have chosen the faithful way; I have placed Thine ordinances before me.

31 I cleave to Thy testimonies; O LORD, do not put me to shame!

32 I shall run the way of Thy commandments, For Thou wilt enlarge my heart.”

Did you ever feel… just down? everything working against you… might as well

just give up! no way out… ??? Well, that’s where the psalmist was. His soul

was stuck (????) in the dust. What are we to do? Waller in self pity? Absolutely NOT!

Look at the upward path the psalmist took: Revive me! Teach me! Make me!

Strengthen me! Remove from me! Grant me! Every verb at his disposal he

employed in the hope of revival. Look also at the objects of his focus: Thy Word!

Thy statutes! Thy precepts! Thy law! Then observe the revival of the psalmist’s

soul: I have chosen! I have placed! I cleave! I shall run! Note, too, his confidence

in the LORD: “For Thou wilt enlarge my heart.”

Two final thoughts: One, we are totally dependent upon the LORD to lift us up

out despair. Two, at the same time, He expects us to exercise the resources He

has given us in the process. It’s just like eternal salvation: He does the saving,

but we are required to believe. So, don’t let anything get you down! For when

everything is dark and gloomy, remember that He has already provided a way

of escape. “It’s always darkest just before dawn.”

We love you more than you know and pray for you 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.”

Dear Grands,

Psalm 119:9-11, “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.”

Have you noticed how the Bible always seems to speak to

men instead of women? Well, until our politically correct

times, both genders were included when the Bible says “men.”

At the same time, men were the leaders; and the way they

ventured was generally the way the women ventured also.

In any event, purity was the LORD’s key concern for both.

And the key to keeping pure is to stay fixed on the Word of

God in Holy Scripture. We may intend to be pure, but find

our minds wandering. That’s when we must earnestly pray:

“Do not let me wander from Thy commandments.” With the

LORD exerting divine power and with us treasuring His Word

in our hearts, sin can be excluded from us. The salvation of

our souls is not in jeopardy; but for our daily living, sin is not

a once-and-for-all exclusion. We must continually fight against

sin! But, how will we know when we’ve won the victory? You

will know, just as you know when you feel better after being

sick. But we must still stay on our medicine (the Word),

until He Comes Again and takes us to be eternally with Him!

Oh, how we pray for you, and for ourselves,

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,

John 8:31-36, “Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed Him,

‘If you abide in My Word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you shall know

the truth, and the truth shall make you free.’ 33 “They answered Him, ‘We are Abraham’s

offspring, and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, “You shall

become free”?’ 34 “Jesus answered them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits

sin is the slave of sin. 35 And the slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does

remain forever. 36 If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.’”

There is nothing quite like freedom. I have preached in jails around the world.

Prisoners are those who are not free. There are various kinds of imprisonment.

Some are actual, physical enslavements that do not permit freedom of movement.

Other imprisonments allow, but limit the movement of the prisoners. What is

most severe, however, is the mental imprisonment. This is where people appear

to be free, but are beclouded and shackled mentally. Jesus said that sin does that.

Do you remember when I told you of that delicious dish that I loved in India? I still

have never tasted anything so scrumptious. But, it made me sick! I had pain that

told me I should not have eaten it; but it was so good, that when I recovered from

my sickness, I ordered and ate it again!! I was a prisoner of that tasty food.

I have counseled some who were addicted to alcohol, drugs, pornography. They

learned the Truth that would set them free, yet many returned to their sin. They

were prisoners –prisoners who begged to be free, but refused to walk out the door.

How stupid is that? It’s more than stupid; it’s intoxicating! I’ve talked to women,

whose husbands disrespected them in every conceivable way, yet they refused to

leave them. Sometime children are imprisoned in their own homes by a father,

who uses them for his own intentions. They are not physically bound, but they

are slaves! –mental slaves, afraid to launch out on their own.

The LORD Jesus saved us to be free! –mentally, physically, emotionally! Freedom

is possible in Christ. Fear is the guard that forbids and inhibits freedom! But, we

will never be free unless and until we trust the LORD and forsake that sin that

imprisons us.

We love and pray daily for you and for freedom from fear,

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 111:1-3, “Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart,

In the company of the upright and in the assembly. 2 Great are the works of the LORD;

They are studied by all who delight in them. 3 Splendid and majestic is His work;

And His righteousness endures forever.”

It is virtually impossible to read the Psalms without being continually confronted

by the glory and majesty of Almighty God. The Psalmist is always giving thanks to

the LORD for His wondrous works. And they are “studied (investigated) by all who

delight in them.” If you truly believe the Bible to be the Word of the LORD, you will

read it; and you will read it often (make that, daily!) and dig out the meaning of all

He says. Is not that what we do with everything that is meaningful to us? The LORD’s

Word is spectacular! It is majestic and splendorous! It tells us about others, and it

tells us about –ourselves! Oops! Is that what keeps us from investigating it fully

and delighting in it? Righteousness defines as honesty and justice, both of which

are eternally linked with the LORD.

Sometimes we shrink back from the evaluations people have of us. We must

weigh what they say against what the LORD says in His Word. He is always right.

If what others say aligns with what He has said, their thoughts must be accepted

as being true. Medicine that is distasteful is, nevertheless, often what we need.

And if we are led to dispense that medicine to others, we must be careful, too;

for our evaluation of them must also align with His Word.

We love you all desperately, and we relish your love for us 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 94:17-19, “If the LORD had not been my help,

My soul would soon have dwelt in the abode of silence.

18 If I should say, ‘My foot has slipped,’ Thy lovingkindness,

O LORD, will hold me up. 19 When my anxious thoughts multiply

within me, Thy consolations delight my soul.”

Some days are dark all day long. There is no sunshine. There

is no joy, no delight –just depression. Darkness does that.

And that is the time when many turn to alcohol and drugs

in the effort to ward off depression. But, there is another

answer: the LORD! He is our help, our support. Sometimes

we stumble along the pathway of life and we cry out to Him.

He hears us because He loves us and He supports us, bringing

us out of our inward darkness. Sometimes “anxious thoughts”

are borne out of human emotion; sometimes they are planted

within our thinking by the adversary, the devil. He is often the

source of our insecurities. But the LORD’s consolations, His

comfort, brings sunshine into our inner selves.

I like Dr. Hull. He is our Primary Care Physician. He has an

excellent bedside manner. I’ve often told his nurses that

just hearing him say, “We going to fix that. You’re going to

be fine,” makes me feel better before the problem has even

been medically addressed. Confidence in him produces

sunshine. It drives away the anxieties! And He always talks

about the LORD. When we read the Bible every day and

pray, the LORD drives away anxiety. He is our Consolation!

We are remembering you daily in our prayers,

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.”