The Grands Letter

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.”

Dear Grands,

Psalm 31:7-8, “I will rejoice and be glad in Thy lovingkindness,

Because Thou hast seen my affliction; Thou hast known the troubles

of my soul, 8 And Thou hast not given me over into the hand of the

enemy; Thou hast set my feet in a large place.”

Have you ever encountered trouble and just saw no way out?

You couldn’t move because it surrounded you on all sides?

I know that feeling. I’ve been there. The only way out seemed

to be up. I’m thinking of a situation of many years ago. I turned

to the Scriptures for an answer. I began to look upward. And in

the end, the LORD delivered me. But He did more than that!

He removed me from the midst of the trouble and set my feet

in a much larger field of service. Previous to the trouble, I would

have argued that where I was could hardly have been better, but

the trouble shook me loose from the comfort I was enjoying, and

gave me an enormous place of service to Him! Would I go back?

Not on your life!

The psalmist was praying for deliverance from his enemies. Yet,

instead of moaning about his circumstances, he rejoiced in the

LORD’s love toward him in the midst of the trying circumstances.

The LORD had something bigger, something better, for him. Had

He merely complained and griped and grumbled, the LORD

would have left him in the midst of his trouble. But he rejoiced!

The LORD then saw that he had learned the lesson, and He freed

him for greater service “in a large(r) place.”

You know what our problem is? It’s that we’ve not learned the

rules of the LORD’s “game.” When we do, we’re set to experience

enormous blessing!

We pray for you every day and trust you are praying for us, too.

Nana & Dado III

Update: Nana’s gaining strength every day. Praise the LORD!

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 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.”

Some years ago, when Rick was attending LeTourneau University, he

and Rob decided to fly home to Arkansas from Texas. They were in

the air when trouble with the throttle developed and they had to

turn back. I remember Rob saying that Rick was “cool and collected”

and never showed the slightest inclination of panic. I then said to Rob,

“Son, while you were up there, did you do any praying?” His answer

was swift and emphatic. “Dad, that’s the first thing you do!”

If those in Heaven have the ability to view what’s going on here on

Earth, the psalmist must have been glad to know that my boys were

walking according to his direction. Theologians and Biblicists differ

as to whether there is a question mark in the Hebrew at this point.

But all agree that true and dependable help always comes from the

LORD!

The LORD is never drowsy; He never sleeps. He keeps our feet on

sure and solid ground and does not allow us to slip spiritually. He

protects us both physically and spiritually. When we are His, nothing

is allowed to penetrate his protection. He thwarts all evil by guarding

us completely from the time we first trust Him into eternity.

Yes, the LORD has established trained workers (doctors, policemen,

firemen, etc.) to assist us in times of need; but it is He and He alone

in whom we place our ultimate trust. Our “help comes from the LORD.”

Praise Him for His constant love and protection!

We love you and pray for His protection over you every day,

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.”