LAW / GRACE/ FREEDOM :: The Garden

REACHING HURTING WOMEN MINISTRIES OFFERS FOUR TOPICS FOR CONTEMPLATION EVERY MONTH OF THE YEAR. EACH TOPIC IS A 12-MONTH STUDY SERIES ASSIGNED TO A SPECIFIC FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH. IN MONTHS WITH FIVE FRIDAYS WE’RE REVIEWING CHRISTIAN MEDIA.
On the fourth Friday of each month in 2022 we’re studying the RHW 2022 Theme: God’s Law, Grace & Freedom.

“Without God’s law and grace there is no opportunity for recovery from any addiction and therefore no true freedom!”

Then God planted a garden in Eden, in the east. He put the Man he had just made in it. God made all kinds of trees grow from the ground, trees beautiful to look at and good to eat. The Tree-of-Life was in the middle of the garden, also the Tree-of-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil. ~ Genesis 2:8-9 (MSG)

God created people for relationship with Him. He wanted them to be free to live with and love Him. God gave people the ability and opportunity to make choices. We can obey and be rewarded with a happy life and relationship with God. Or we can disobey and suffer painful consequences personally and in our relationship with God.

The Law in the Garden

God commanded the Man, “You can eat from any tree in the garden, except from the Tree-of-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil. Don’t eat from it. The moment you eat from that tree, you’re dead.” ~ Genesis 2:15-17. (MSG)

Adam and Eve only had one law to follow. Pretty simple compared to Old Testament Biblical laws and our modern standards of law keeping. Among all of creation God gave only Adam and Eve the ability to think, reason, gain knowledge and make decisions using their knowledge. Most people aren’t content with what they have.  We have an innate desire for knowing and experiencing life; whether that includes suffering or not. When given the choice, many will take the risk of knowing both sides of the good and evil.  And so Eve took Satan’s bait and the human race has been suffering the consequences ever since.

Freedom in the Garden

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, fill the land, and conquer it. Rule over the fish of the sea, the flying creatures of the sky, and over every animal that crawls on the land. I have just given you every green plant yielding seed that is on the surface of the whole land, and every tree, which has the fruit of a tree yielding seed. They are to be food for you. Also for every wild animal, every flying creature of the sky and every creature that crawls on the land which has life, every green plant is to be food.” So God saw everything that He made, and behold it was very good. ~ Genesis 1:28-30

Adam and Eve had freedom unlike any other humans have experienced. They had the freedom to walk and talk with God in their garden paradise home. They had the perfect life. But they didn’t know how perfect it was until it was gone. We often take for granted the goodness that God has bestowed on us.

Grace in the Garden

And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife. ~ Genesis 3:21

Adam and Eve were created in the state of God’s amazing grace. With their incredible freedom came the ability choose between good and evil. And even when they disobeyed God and ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil He still loved them. They experienced God’s first act of grace, foreshadowing the future redemption of the human race, when He shed the blood of an animal and covered them with its skin.

Choose Life

I call Heaven and Earth to witness against you today: I place before you Life and Death, Blessing and Curse. Choose life so that you and your children will live. ~ Deuteronomy 30:19

God’s love is free and unconditional but His law, grace and freedom have conditions. In the same way there are unbreakable, unchangeable laws of nature and physics, God’s laws have set requirements and results that don’t change and can’t be broken without a consequence. Thankfully, Jesus came to save us from the consequences of our sin. However, it is up to us to make the right choice. Do we want life or death? Choose life!

Contemplate the choices available to you in Jesus as you enjoy this beautiful song by Kari Jobe.

THE DO IT AFRAID BOOK STUDY :: STOP MONEY WORRIES

REACHING HURTING WOMEN MINISTRIES OFFERS FOUR THEMES FOR CONTEMPLATION EVERY MONTH OF THE YEAR.
EACH OF THE FOUR POWER-PACKED THEMES ARE A 12-MONTH STUDY SERIES ASSIGNED TO A SPECIFIC FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH. IN MONTHS WITH FIVE FRIDAYS I’LL BE REVIEWING TOUCHING INSPIRATIONAL MUSIC.
On the fourth Friday of each month in 2021 we’re studying Joyce Meyer’s newest book: Do It Afraid. We’re learning how to understand fear, to recognize how it works in our life and finally how to confront fear. We will learn new mindsets that position us for freedom from our most common fears. Come along and let’s learn something new from Momma Joyce!
This is the sixth post in The Do It Afraid Book Study series.

FREEDOM FROM FINANCIAL FEAR

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 4:19

The Bible is full of verses that teach us not only the importance but also the rewards of giving. If we’re having money worries, there’s a good chance we need to either begin giving to others or step our current giving up a level.

I know from personal experience when my husband and I have gotten slack on our giving, we’ve opened the door for the enemy to steal from us. As long as we are faithful in our giving, not just our tithe, but over and above the tithe in a sacrificial way, God has always honored and blessed what we’ve given. We’d rather have 90% of our income that’s blessed, than 100% that’s cursed.
Take a look at this important passage of Scripture from the Apostle Paul:
Here’s my point. A stingy sower will reap a meager harvest, but the one who sows from a generous spirit will reap an abundant harvest. Let giving flow from your heart, not from a sense of religious duty. Let it spring up freely from the joy of giving—all because God loves hilarious generosity! Yes, God is more than ready to overwhelm you with every form of grace, so that you will have more than enough of everything—every moment and in every way. He will make you overflow with abundance in every good thing you do ~ 2 Corinthians 9:6-11
God will make good on His Word every time!  We can take God at His Word!
He said it. I believe it. And that settles it!
There are thing we may have to do afraid in order to be free from the fear of lack. Give, even if you have to do it afraid; spend as you’re led by the Holy Spirit, even if you have to do it afraid, and turn your worries into prayers.~ Joyce Meyer
If you’re struggling with financial fears today, I challenge you to test God’s Word in your life. Pray. Ask Him to show you where and how to give, and in the mean time be thankful for what you have while you are waiting on God to give you more. Always remember you can never out give God!

Soak in this beautiful song by Kari Jobe as you contemplate trusting God for all your finances.

RHW 2021 PREVIEW

In 2021 Reaching Hurting Women continues our magazine format which offers four different themes for study and contemplation every month for the year. Each of the four power-packed themes will be a 12 month series assigned to a specific Friday of every month. In months with five Fridays we’ll be offering a special column reviewing touching inspirational music.

Happy New Year! I’m so excited to give you an overview of the upcoming weekly Reaching Hurting Women columns for 2021.  We’ll be continuing our magazine format which offers four powerful themes for study each Friday of the month. The schedule will be as follows:

1st Friday of Each Month: Psalm 91 

The first Friday of each month we will be studying Psalm 91. We’ll be breaking down this powerful psalm one phrase at a time and applying its phenomenal protection promises to our life today.

2nd Friday of Each Month: The Holy Spirit

On the second Friday of each month we’ll be going through an in-depth study of The Holy Spirit. We will be learning about who The Holy Spirit is, what are the gifts and fruits of the Spirit and how we can walk them out in our daily life.

3rd Friday of Each Month: Life Recovery Gifts

Continuing our ongoing recovery work, this year we’ll be studying the 12 Gifts of Life Recovery. We will learn about the hidden blessings that come as an added benefit with our journey into wholeness and health.

4th Friday of Each Month: The Do It Afraid Book Study 

Our book study for 2021 is Do It Afraid: Embracing Courage in the Face of Fear by Joyce Meyer. We will learn how to understand fear, recognize how it works in our life, confront the fears that hold us back and achieve lasting freedom from those fears. Join me as we dig into Joyce’s awesome and timely released new book.

5th Friday Months: Music Reviews 

I’m really happy to be continuing the special column that I premiered in 2020. On the last Friday in each of the months that have five Fridays (January, April, July, October and December) I’ll be bringing you reviews of Christian music that has particularly touched my heart and spirit.

I’m so looking forward to a wonderful year of writing and study together in the Lord. I hope you’ll join me and bring along a friend when you can.

I pray God’s many Blessings upon you and your family for this coming year and always… Tamara

QUIETLY EMBRACE PATIENCE

In observance of my Benedictine Monastic practices, on the last Friday of each month in 2019 we’re walking Saint Benedict’s 12 Steps of Humility. With each step we come closer to our spiritual transformation and the perfect love of God.

The fourth step of humility is that in obedience, under difficult, unfavorable or even unjust condition, our hearts quietly embrace suffering and endure it without weakening or seeking escape. ~ The Rule of Benedict

Be brave of heart and rely on God. ~ Psalm 27:14

Obedience often brings pain.

Last month in Humility Step Three we learned about obedience. Saint Benedict wants us to submit to our authority figures for the love of God imitating Christ who became obedient even to death. In other words, there are times our obedience may bring difficult or painful circumstances, that may be hard but yet they are in our best interest.

Be faithful to the end and you will experience life and deliverance. ~ Matthew 10:22 (TPT)

Living a pain-free life.

Benedict links obedience with patience. Something not taught much today. When facing difficult situations most of us don’t embrace the suffering quietly  or without weakening. The minute there is any sort of stress we’re seeking an escape. Our escapes come in many forms: food, sex, drugs, alcohol, work, social media, shopping, gambling… Anything that can take our mind off our troubles can serve as an escape.

Persevere to the end.

By your steadfastness and patient endurance you shall win the true life of your souls. ~ Luke 21:19 (TPT)

Scripture tells us there will be challenges and struggles. But Jesus encourages us no matter what we’re experiencing, if we will endure, if we are faithful to the end, we will experience deliverance in this lifetime and certainly in the next.

Quietly embrace patience in your life situation as you enjoy this beautiful song by Kari Jobe.