The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Isaiah 55:8-11, “’For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Neither are your ways My ways,’

declares the LORD. 9 ‘For as the heavens are higher than the Earth,

So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.

10 ‘For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,

And do not return there without watering the Earth, And making it bear and sprout,

And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater; 11 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.’”

What do you know about things around you? How much of what has been

Humanly developed do you understand? Take Wi-Fi. We can measure its

strength; we can send instant messages to the far corners of the Earth by

using it; but how does it actually work? Do you know?

We read the Bible, but how much of it do we really understand? The LORD’s

thoughts are so much higher –more intelligent—that ours, that the greatest

thoughts we have about anything are simply childish incomparison. What

we know is what He allows us to know. Isaiah quotes the LORD as He tells us

about the rain and snow. They come to us from the LORD and they come with

a purpose. When that purpose is accomplished, the moisture returns in the

heavens from where it came, so that it can come again, as He wills.

There is a parallel of the elements with the Word of God. His Word also has

a purpose. As it is read or quoted, it penetrates the mind of man. The LORD

has created us with the ability to understand His Word. We can also reject it.

The Word is a producer of LIFE to the one who accepts it; it produces DEATH

to the one who rejects it. But that Word is never meaningless! We don’t

always know how the Word is working in those with whom we share it.

What we do know is that it is accomplishing the LORD’s purpose. And it is His

will that everyone on Planet Earth hears His Word. When we have received

Him as our LORD and Savior, He enables us to share that Word of Salvation

with others. We do this through direct witnessing, through prayer, through

supporting missionaries –through a variety of ways. But, what we do is

guaranteed to be effective and glorifying to Him! Let’s get started!!!

May the LORD bless and use you is our daily prayer,

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,

Jeremiah 7:23, “Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people:

and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.”

In multiple ways the world seems complicated. Nations feign war against each other.

Men gather in conferences and share thoughts in the attempt to assuage conflicts.

Yet, the true answer for the safety of nations is stated in this simple truth from the

LORD: “Obey My voice.” Obedience to the LORD promises His leadership of our lives.

When we are His people and walk in the ways He has commanded, we are guaranteed

His protection. Still, the winds of adversity rage, and nations continue in conflict against

one another. Men are tempted to rely upon their own wisdom, while the LORD repeats

“Obey My voice.”

John Wesley once said, “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.”

We have the precious privilege of prayer. As we pray, the LORD brings His will to bear

upon leaders we can neither reach nor influence. The LORD guides the nations, as He

guides us. We may not always “see” how He is guiding, but faith agrees with the Word

that says He is. Love and faith are the powerful tools God has placed in our hands. We

will experience the results of His work if we learn to obey His direction.

Pray for us as we pray for you,

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,

Isaiah 39:3-4, “Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah

and said to him, ‘What did these men say, and from where have

they come to you?’ And Hezekiah said, ‘They have come to me

from a far country, from Babylon.’ 4And he said, ‘What have they

seen in your house?’ So Hezekiah answered, ‘They have seen all

that is in my house; there is nothing among my treasuries that I

have not shown them.’”

Hezekiah, king of Judah, had been sick. He was better now, and

to his delight, Merodach, king of Babylon, had come to visit him.

Hezekiah was so pleased that he showed Merodach all the treasures

–everything precious!– within his house. Not smart.

Sometimes we feel too good for our own good. There’s a lesson

here, if you will receive it. Some things should be kept secret. It’s

not wrong to have some precious things, but be careful where you

keep them. They may be tempting to the eyes of others. Sometimes

we even say things we ought to keep secret. Persons whom you

trust may say, “Well, I agree with you, just be careful with whom

you share it.” Then later, when the word gets out, you discover

that the one you trusted is the one who told it to others. In the

case of Hezekiah, the LORD’s servant, Isaiah, warned him. Now,

that the account is recorded in the Bible, the LORD has warned you!

Isaiah’s final word was that there would come a day when all those

treasures would be carried away to Babylon. There’s an old saying

that the only way to keep a secret if for three people to know it,

and two of them to be dead! But, even then, you need to be careful.

We love and pray for you! We hope you are praying for us.

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,

Isaiah 38:7-8, “’And this shall be the sign to you from the LORD,

that the LORD will do this thing that He has spoken:

8 “Behold, I will cause the shadow on the stairway, which has gone

down with the sun on the stairway of Ahaz, to go back ten steps.”

So the sun’s shadow went back ten steps on the stairway on which

it had gone down.’”’

Away back in the Book of Genesis, the LORD said to Abraham,

“Is any thing too hard for the LORD (Gen. 18:13)?” Hezekiah is

recorded in Isaiah 38:1-3, as being mortally ill. The LORD said to

him, “You shall die and not live.” The prognosis was not good.

Hezekiah began earnestly to pray. The LORD saw Hezekiah’s

Heart, heard his prayer, and added 15 years to his lifespan. It’s

always wise to pray, especially in a time of severe trouble.

Additionally, the LORD gave him a sign to validate His words.

He doesn’t always do that. I once knew a man, who had a

deathly illness. He measured his own life somewhat by accepting

Psalm 128:6 as a sign: “Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s

children…” Here in our verses, the LORD did give Hezekiah a

sign. It is important, however, that we focus on the LORD and

not on the sign. Even more, it is important to see that up and

including the time of Hezekiah’s illness and impending death,

he had lived for the LORD and done what was right in His eyes.

This should encourage us, regardless of what circumstances

seek to discourage us. The LORD is always vigilant, always

powerful, and always ready to provide for His children. Our

responsibility is to live for Him and be always “to the praise

of His glory” (Eph. 1:12).

His love works for you through us, as we pray daily for you,

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,

Isaiah 30:20-21, “Although the Lord has given you bread of privation

and water of oppression, He, your Teacher will no longer hide Himself,

but your eyes will behold your Teacher. 21 And your ears will hear a word

behind you, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right or

to the left.”

Things aren’t always what they seem. One man is guilty, but set free;

another is innocent, but found guilty. We ask ourselves, “What is

going on? How can this be?” Isaiah tells us that the circumstances that

baffle us, have been under the LORD’s control all the time. Although

the LORD is never complicit with evil, at times He allows (nathan) oppression

(kanaph) to invade our lives. With oppression, He gets our attention.

He is our Teacher, but when we won’t listen to Him, He allows trouble

to enter our lives, knowing that this will drive us back to Him.

Although the era for which these words were written was far removed

from New Testament times, it seems to me that Isaiah’s word prophetically

apply to a later age when the Holy Spirit lives in the lives of true believers.

“Your eyes will behold your Teacher. And your ears will hear a word behind

you, (saying) ‘This is the way, walk in it.’” Have you never sensed that what

you were about to do was wrong? Have you never paused to re-think what

you were about to say? These verses tell me that the Holy Spirit is constantly

aware of what and how we are intending something, and as our Teacher, He

whispers, “Don’t do that. Do this.” Further verses in this chapter indicate

the blessings of the LORD that will fall upon those who are sensitive to His

presence and give heed to His directions. How blessed it is to witness His

smile of grace when we listen and follow His will!

We love you and pray for our LORD’s blessings upon you,

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.”