“I will walk with integrity of heart
within my house;
 I will not set before my eyes
anything that is worthless.
I hate the work of those who fall away;
it shall not cling to me.”  (Psalm 101:2-3)

I admit it. Last night, I watched one of my favorite TV shows, even though it had a sub-plot that bristled my beliefs.  I have to ask myself why I did that. How much do I set before my eyes that is worthless?

In our visually oriented world of technology we absorb so much in a day, much of it subconsciously. How easy is it to watch a TV show that subtly slips in immorality, alternative lifestyles, casual sex, drugs, violence, selfishness – and those are the good guys!

I’m not saying we should be mentally productive 24/7, or be constantly reading our Bibles when we are not doing anything else. Vegging out is necessary now and then. But, we need to be careful what enters into our eyes, ears and brains – and into the eyes, ears and brains of our family. And, we need to remember this — integrity is what you do when no one else is around to watch you. Even though our pastor or fellow church members are not there on our couch when we choose our type of entertainment, God is.  How often do we walk with integrity of heart within our homes? Last night, I didn’t.

We must be willing to click off a show, even in the middle of a plot, if it begins to project something that is not biblically sound. Is finding out “who done it” so important that you or I can put up with a flavoring of sin and think it doesn’t affect us?

My mother used to say that idleness is the devil’s playground. Today with TV, internet, iPads and MP3s, more than ever we need to be wary of what is being “fed” to us in the process of entertaining us. And, I think we need to be more vocal when something offensive is slipped in.  We should write to the TV producers and game makers to tell them our views and objections to the material they produce. Otherwise, how will they know?

Question: What have you watched in the past 24 hours that maybe you shouldn’t have?

Is your world coming to an end? Talk to us about it.

But again, sleep did not come easy.  News images of the past year haunted her. The unstable markets made her stomach churn with worry over the bit they had managed to save for the kid’s future education. Should they even take that holiday over Christmas?

She tossed and turned and reprimanded herself. Foolish to worry. Yet this strange vulnerability seemed to have left her soul adrift on a sea of anxiety that was always just below the surface.  Keeping busy helped, but the quiet moments at the end of the day brought questions with no answers.

She knew that others across the world were grappling with this same helpless feeling of vulnerability.  Political, economic, religious issues surfaced across the globe daily leaving so many vulnerable in ways they had never imagined.  She knew she was not alone.

She turned on the light and wondered into the living room. She looked over the bookshelf for something to busy her mind until sleep came.  Her eyes fell on her Grandmother’s Bible.   It was old and nearly falling apart.  Grandma had used it well.

She picked it up and leafed through the fragile pages.  Her eyes fell upon one verse after another underlined in red. She had always felt a little too educated for Grandmother’s simple faith, yet the words were comforting.

“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you” (Psalm 55:12).

“He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find
refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield…” (Psalm 91:4).

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (Hebrews
6:19).

Grandmother’s days had been uncertain too.  Her life had not been easy.  She had been a war bride and had experienced much loss.  There had been stories of both joy and sadness. Oh the issues of the day would have been different. But these verses, outlined in red, showed that Grandmother had felt vulnerable too.  Was Grandmother’s faith and Grandmother’s God still able to sustain and comfort and be an anchor for her soul too? An anchor for her soul.  She desperately wanted that…desperately needed that.

She hadn’t prayed since she was a little girl and the words came haltingly, unfamiliar. “Oh God, I need an anchor for my soul.  I feel anything but firm and secure.  Please sustain me, keep me in the midst of uncertainty, be my refuge and help me to know your faithfulness in the way my Grandmother did. Anchor me Lord.  I need you.”

She turned out the light. A peace settled over her unsettled soul and she determined to learn more of the God of her Grandmother, more of this Anchor for her soul.  And she slept.

Lord God, I realize that feeling vulnerable is actually a form of fear. In the name of Jesus I give you my fear and ask for Your peace to shelter me as I rest under Your wing. Anchor my soul and give wisdom to my mind and strength to my body. Amen.

Questions: Are you feeling vulnerable these days? Tell us how God has helped you in the past. How can you again rest in God and feel at peace?

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Do you feel hopeless? Take this study.

“I get so depressed sometimes I wish I could die!” the sad woman exclaimed. “You don’t know what it’s like to live with a man like my husband!”

“I realize it may be bad, Maria,” her pastor consoled. “But while he’s at work, can’t you shake off this depression that gets you down? Have you tried reading the Bible or listening or viewing some good Christian programs on radio or TV?”

She shook her head. “Oh, life with my husband isn’t the only thing that gets me down. It’s life in general these days–so much trouble going on in the world–war, sickness, increase in crime and immorality. What if my children get involved with drugs or something like that?”

“Now, Maria, you’re looking for trouble,” answered her pastor. “Yes, I agree these are bad days in which we live. But we have the same Lord today that Christians down through the centuries have had. He makes all the difference in a Christian’s life.

If we set our affections on things above, we won’t be dragged down by things on this earth. God doesn’t want His children to live in the dumps. He can lift us up to the heavenlies with His joy and peace. But we have to take every problem to Him and trust Him to take care of it!”

Maria is like many Christians today. They spend too much time down in the dumps with the devil, when they could enjoy the princely privileges God gives His children even in this life.

Down in the dumps

The dumps isn’t a pretty place. All kinds of garbage lie around. Unpleasant smoke stings the nostrils with its acrid fumes. The company there isn’t pleasant either, for you can hardly stand yourself at times! Your mind whispers discouraging suggestions such as, “Why don’t you just give up” and “Why don’t you kill yourself? The garbage surrounding a person in the dumps is enough to depress anyone. There are those old regrets (but you can’t relive the past). There are present problems. (But does worrying ever solve them?)Sometimes the future seems hopeless.

When we are in the dumps we are not much use to anyone, and we certainly are no testimony for the Lord. We are miserable. We can’t sleep. We snap and bite. Our faith is at a low ebb. And we are vulnerable to Satan.

Up with the Lord

Jesus said to His followers, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). When we turn to the Lord in faith away from our garbage dump of troubles, we find a wonderful peace steals into our hearts. We experience such grace that suddenly we want to sing as the angels in Heaven. “Praise the Lord!”

Jesus also said that where our treasure is, there also will be our heart. If we count our treasure as being in Heaven, then the temporary things that take place in this world will not matter half so much. For as our minds are set on things above, we will know in our hearts that God’s hand is on everything concerning you.

Dr. Charles Haddon Spurgeon said, “The Lord gets his best soldiers out of the highlands of affliction.”

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About the Author Muriel Larson

Are you searching for a source of peace? We are here to listen.

Do you feel that way on Sundays? I have to admit, there are days I really don’t. The sloth in me moans to lay back, snuggle into another cup of coffee and veg out on an old movie on TV instead. Getting up, getting dressed, getting going is a hassle. Now maybe if they allowed us to come to church in our PJ’s . . . no, cancel that thought.

The thing is, I always feel better when I go to church. It is good to see the friendly faces and get the warm hugs. It is reviving to be with people who care about me and each other. I feel a sense of belonging. The worship music and the Bible passages boost me, pumping into me life like a transfusion. My faith seems less anemic. And sure enough, I learn a lesson or get an answer to a prayer or end up being someone else’s answer.

I know people say they do not have to go to church to be a Christian. But the cross has two planes – vertical between God and man, and horizontal between each other. Church gives us a sense of community. We feel stronger when we are together as a group than if we are standing alone and battling the temptations that bombard us daily.  Church bonds us together in a common twofold cause – loving Christ and loving our neighbor. Like a chain-linked fence, when we are intertwined in each other’s lives, we are stronger.

A dear friend says she loves to come to church and see everyone in the pews. It is her check list, making sure all of her friends are okay, healthy and happy. She relates it to when she’d check on her teenage girls in the middle of the night. Yes, they were home and safe. All is well.

Growing up, we all knew the house on the block where we were welcome. It was the house of a widow. She’d let us romp in her big yard; she’d play the piano for us, and always had fresh, just out of the oven cookies and ice cold milk on her kitchen table.

When I had my own son, I strove to make our house that inviting.  One day, I overheard some kids talking as I waited to pick him up from school. “Let’s go to his house, his mom is cool.” “Yeah, we can have fun there.” Another piped up, “Mom always let me go over there. She says she never worries about me when I am there.”  They were my son’s friends and later that day when they rang the doorbell, my heart warmed.

Church is that for me. I hope you find one that is that way for you. A place where you can feel safe and loved and have some fun.  I hope when you are with your friends you say “Let’s go to His house.”

Question: How do you feel about the church you attend?  Are you attending a church? If not, why not?

About the Author Julie Cosgrove

Is anger defining your relationships? Take this study to learn about the key to the joy of putting shame behind you.

An adolescent thirsts for her daddy’s approval.

A young woman desires someone to see her as beautiful.

There is something within the female heart that longs to be treasured. Regardless of physical features, character qualities, intellectual ability or athletic prowess, a woman wants to know that she captivates one man’s attention.

Within the psalms there is a wedding song that gives us a glimpse of how Christ sees us, His bride.

“Listen, O Daughter, consider and give ear: Forget your people and your father’s house. The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord” (Psalm 45:10, 11).

Oh that these words from God would satisfy our yearning. For too long, we have listened to the world and its lies. It’s time to forget the careless or intentionally hurtful words we’ve been told.

Instead, we can choose to believe that our Creator is enthralled with our beauty.

Then, the conflicting voices from TV, magazines or maybe even family will fade into the background as we realize that we are of great worth in God’s eyes. He loves us with an everlasting love and draws us with loving-kindness into relationship with Him. (Jeremiah 31:3). He is enthralled with our beauty.

Then too, we can set our hearts on honoring Him, for He is our Lord.

Heavenly Father, thank you for these words that fill my heart with hope. Help me to believe that You find me beautiful and that I have great worth in Your sight. Close my ears to the other voices around me and give me the courage and strength to honor You.

Questions: Why do we long to be beautiful? How has the desire to be beautiful led to poor choices? How does knowing God finds you beautiful transform your thinking?

About the Author Suzanne Benner

Do you have a life after death question? This study talks about it.

Have you agreed to the contract yet? It’s the most important transaction of your life. Many of us sign contracts for cars and houses. We agree in writing on cable TV and political petitions. We complete paperwork before bringing our newborn baby home from the hospital.

This contract is unlike any other, a one of a kind eternal covenant written and sealed with the blood of the Son of God! A life insurance policy provided absolutely free. It can’t be outdated or cancelled. It isn’t term life insurance that pays off when we die.  Eternal benefits begin the minute we agree to these provisos. One more thing, agreeing to this covenant voids the death warrant on our life.

Why do we need this contract? We need it because mankind has a universal problem. “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” and “the wages of sin is death.” (Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23) Without Christ we die. His covenant is the only solution.

What is covenant? Holman’s QuickSource Bible Dictionary states it’s “an oath-bound promise whereby one party pledges to bless or serve another party in some specific way”.

But promises are broken all the time. Can we be sure this agreement won’t be broken? Contracts have value only if the author is faithful to his word and has the authority, power, and ability to keep the promise. This promise maker is Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, whose word does have authority, ability, weight and power. He is ever faithful. (Luke 4:32 Amplified; 2 Thessalonians 3:3)

The terms are sealed with the sin-free blood of Christ. “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins ” “it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.” “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (Ephesians 1:7; Leviticus 17:11; 1 Peter 3:18).

When we enter into agreement with Jesus, the Word, He seals his promises with his very presence within us. “And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” “So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” (Ephesians 1:22; 3:17).

Again I ask, have you agreed to the contract yet? Signing it will bless you forever. He is calling you out, dear one. Will you receive Christ as your eternal inheritance? “For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance” (Hebrews 9:15).

Lord, I choose your covenant, written with your precious blood. I confess I’m a sinner. Forgive me. I turn from living life independent of you and choose the eternal life that only you can provide. Help me love and serve you. Thank you. Amen.

Questions: Have you received Christ as your eternal inheritance? What difference has Christ made in your life?

About the Author Petey Prater (La Von)

The basics of the cartoon were laid out within a few hours. It would include ice-skating; a pageant (Mendelson and Schulz had both flubbed parts in school shows); a mix of Christmas carols and Guaraldi’s contemporary jazz; and the message that Christmas is really about the joyful miracle of Jesus’s birth.

However, Hartman notes that “Television executives hated it from the start.” After all, one of it’s most famous scenes quotes directly from the KJV Bible. They were scared that the show was “too religious”, even in 1965.

Despite the challenges, Charles Schultz was committed to telling the real Christmas story and giving a proper Christmas message. He held tightly to his Christian beliefs and fought to keep the show true to his vision. His perseverance resulted in the special being watched by 15 million people during its first airing and millions every year since, as well as being honored with both an Emmy and a Peabody award.

Do you have memories of watching this Christmas special? How can we we encourage our friends to watch the show not just as a cultural phenomenon, but as a pointer to deeper truths?

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Feature image credit: Great Beyond, used under Creative Commons license