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WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL: A CITY OF REFUGE

                25 February, 2017
"6 Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee. In addition, give them forty-two other towns. 12 They will be places of refuge from the avenger, so that a person accused of murder may not die before he stands trial before the assembly. 13 These six towns you give will be your cities of refuge. 15 These six towns will be a place of refuge for Israelites, aliens and any other people living among them, so that anyone who has killed another accidentally can flee there.” Numbers 35

Often times I wish someone can recognise how bad I am hurting on the inside when I try to hide it. Most times you just want to be buried in the arms of someone, a brother, sister, a friend or your spouse, not because it solves your entire problem but because you feel safe with them. Have you been through situations that made the world seem stranger and lonelier than you thought? How do people around us affect us when we go through tough phases of life? Especially when we have made a terrible mistake and we certainly regret it.

In the era of the Law where the principle of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth was operational, an individual’s fate is sealed by his actions. If he had committed a crime, revenge of that crime is lawful. If you kill someone, even by accident, you are at risk of being killed before you stand trial without motive held in question of your actions. God prepared six cities in Israel such people could flee to and be safe from harm. Fascinating, the location of the six refuge cities is sited among the Levite’s habitation. God was aware if the refuge cities were sited anywhere else the accused would never be safe even in the refuge city, but the Levites whom God had already chosen to protect lives would not harm the accused. The refuge cities were effective because the Levites were harmless.

In the New Testament Christ is our Refuge City because He defended and delivered us. Today, believers are mobile refuge cities. We should be a comfort to people under accusation of men and be a sanctuary of calm to troubled men. We are the cities set on a hill, and we are also priests. Priests are harmless, gentle, compassionate and kind. Little children should feel safe in our embrace, women and men should find solace when you are near. It is never our jobs to blame people why they made terrible choices or talk them down, it is our job to love them and keep them safe. In the Old Testament people ran to the refuge cities but under the New Testament we go to them just as Christ came to us.
The love of God in your heart is enough to help people live through their struggles. Live each day as a refuge city and watch healing of hearts become a reality daily.

One Week Reading Plan

TODAY                 Numbers 35:6-15
SUNDAY               Romans 15:1-7
MONDAY             Isaiah 32:2-3
TUESDAY            Galatians 6:1-2
WEDNESDAY     Psalm 82:3-6
THURSDAY         Matthew 5:13-14

FRIDAY                Psalm 62:7-8

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