The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Genesis 42:9-17, “And Joseph remembered the dreams which he had about them, and said to them, ‘You are spies; you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land.’ 10 Then they said to him, ‘No, my lord, but your servants have come to buy food. 11 ‘We are all sons of one man; we are honest men; your servants are not spies.’ 12 Yet he said to them, ‘No, but you have come to look at the undefended parts of our land!’ 13 But they said, ‘Your servants are twelve brothers in all, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is with our father today, and one is no more.’ 14 And Joseph said to them, ‘It is as I said to you, you are spies. 15 By this you will be tested: by the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go from this place unless your youngest brother comes here! 16 ‘Send one of you that he may get your brother, while you remain confined, that your words may be tested, whether there is truth in you. But if not, by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies.’ 17 So he put them all together in prison for three days.”

I’m not sure of Joseph’s exact age at this point in his life, but he was somewhere near the age of 39 and gifted with wisdom well beyond his years! Despite his brothers’ denial, Joseph insisted that they were spies and had come to learn what they could about the secrets of Egypt. Of course, Joseph knew the truth of why they were there, but he had a plan they could never have uncovered.

Were you ever in a situation like that? Trouble had invaded your life, and it just didn’t make sense. It might do us all good to stop and consider the possibility that we have wandered from the path the LORD has designed for us, and now He has ventured to teach us a lesson and get us back on the path of His will. A periodic reassessment of things would certainly do no harm. Remember, we are always safe and secure when we abide in Him.

Heartily yours in Christ Jesus,

Gene

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

“We will never know that Christ is all we need

Until He becomes all that we have.”

–Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Jude 1:1-4 “Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are the called, beloved in God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:

2 May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you.

3 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

4 For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”

It is always exciting to receive a word from a friend. I received one recently, however, that was anything but exciting, for it was a notification of the termination of his earthly life. Knowing, however, that he was a strong believer and a dedicated advocate for our LORD Jesus Christ, lessened my natural emotional distress.

Were my friend still among us, he would contend that we, who loved him, would do well to concentrate that love on those who have yet to receive Jesus in salvation. He would advocate Jude’s emphasis because it is additionally focused on those who are not saved.

Do you have friends who have never accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior? Are you praying for them? Have you spoken to them about Jesus? We are not responsible for their acceptance of Jesus, but we are responsible for sharing with them His plan of salvation.

As we pray, the LORD enables the lost to receive our witness. Sharing Jesus Christ is our chief responsibility. We must be clear and prayerful as we share Him with others. We can always trust Him to be faithful. The heavy question is: Can He trust us to be prayerfully faithful in sharing Him? I pray that He can.

Heartily yours in Christ Jesus,

Gene

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

“We will never know that Christ is all we need

Until He becomes all that we have.”

–Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Ecclesiastes 2:21-26, “When there is a man who has labored with wisdom, knowledge, and skill, then he gives his legacy to one who has not labored with them. This too is vanity and a great evil.

22 For what does a man get in all his labor and in his striving with which he labors under the sun?

23 Because all his days his task is painful and grievous; even at night his mind does not rest. This too is vanity.

24 There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen, that it is from the hand of God.

25 For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him?

26 For to a person who is good in His sight He has given wisdom and knowledge and joy, while to the sinner He has given the task of gathering and collecting so that he may give to one who is good in God’s sight. This too is vanity and striving after wind.”

Unless I miss my guess, there are a host of people (some of whom may even be reading this) who are identified and unmasked by the Scripture passage above. It’s not that they don’t have a job, or that it brings them no compensation for their labor; rather, it’s that they see no true value in the work itself.

The tendency of many is to view tasks as “painful and grievous,” so that the mind does not rest. Thus, it is the LORD who gives mankind the privilege to work productively. Further still, it is the LORD who gives man strength to work; and the work produces wages whereby man and his family might live. Not every man’s work is the same; still, the strength to labor in production is and ever will be from the LORD!

Everything being said, where would man or his work be without the LORD? When we are thankful, we look to Him with gratitude. “Bless the LORD, my soul, and do not forget any of His benefits” (Psalm 103:2).

Heartily yours in Christ Jesus,

Gene

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

“We will never know that Christ is all we need

Until He becomes all that we have.”

–Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Proverbs 15:3-9, “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, watching the evil and the good. 4 A soothing tongue is a tree of life, but perversion in it crushes the spirit. 5 A fool rejects his father’s discipline, but he who regards reproof is prudent. 6 Much wealth is in the house of the righteous, but trouble is in the income of the wicked. 7 The lips of the wise spread knowledge, but the hearts of fools are not so. 8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight. 9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but He loves him who pursues righteousness.”

Have you ever had the feeling that someone was watching you? You take shelter against his view but keep a close eye on him, simultaneously anticipating any next move he might make.

There is no proof, apart from the sufficient, infallible proof of Holy Scripture, that the all-seeing eye of the LORD is beholding everything in which you and I are engaged. Yet, we need no further proof. Every person on Earth is currently involved in something, and the LORD is there to aid and assist His own in their pursuits. He is supremely supportive of those whose hearts are fully given to His work.

You and I may have distinctly different reasons for the things that we do; yet, because we know Christ, He is profoundly interested in us and in all the thoughts and ventures in which we are involved. May we always pray about our ventures. May we always seek His support in everything we undertake, for without Him we can do nothing.

Heartily yours in Christ Jesus,

Gene

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

United States of America

“We will never know that Christ is all we need Until He becomes all that we have.” –Corrie ten Boom

Dear Grands,

Exodus 22:9-14, “For every breach of trust, whether it is for ox, for donkey, for sheep, for clothing, or for any lost thing about which one says, ‘This is it,’ the case of both parties shall come before the judges; he whom the judges condemn shall pay double to his neighbor.

10 “If a man gives his neighbor a donkey, an ox, a sheep, or any animal to keep for him, and it dies or is hurt or is driven away while no one is looking,

11 an oath before the LORD shall be made by the two of them, that he has not laid hands on his neighbor’s property; and its owner shall accept it, and he shall not make restitution.

12 “But if it is actually stolen from him, he shall make restitution to its owner.

13 “If it is all torn to pieces, let him bring it as evidence; he shall not make restitution for what has been torn to pieces.

14 “And if a man borrows anything from his neighbor, and it is injured or dies while its owner is not with it, he shall make full restitution.”

Fairness and honesty were cardinal requirements that the LORD laid upon His people.

They relate to “every breach of trust,” and He has never revised nor removed them. If differences arise between two neighbors and are without resolution, the matter is to be brought before the judges. What the judges determine will be the final resolution.

If an animal is borrowed and suffers hurt or death, and there is no witness, so that the borrower is alone with his assessment of what occurred, then an impartial judge is to hear the case, and his determination of the situation will be final.

Our system of justice today purports to follow this ancient procedure. I’m sure there were difficulties in ancient times, just as there are today. Nevertheless, the LORD in the heavens above beholds all that transpires; and it is certain that we will pay a price if we, in any way, deal unfairly with our fellow men. Remember, “The eyes of the LORD are in every place, watching the evil and the good” (Prov. 15:3), so be careful!

Heartily yours in Christ Jesus,

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
United States of America

“We will never know that Christ is all we need

Until He becomes all that we have.”
–Corrie ten Boom