Place of Refuge

“Then GOD spoke to Joshua: “Tell the People of Israel: Designate the asylum-cities, as I instructed you through Moses, so that anyone who kills a person accidentally—that is, unintentionally—may flee there as a safe place of asylum from the avenger of blood.

“A person shall escape for refuge to one of these cities, stand at the entrance to the city gate, and lay out his case before the city’s leaders. The leaders must then take him into the city among them and give him a place to live with them. “If the avenger of blood chases after him, they must not give him up—he didn’t intend to kill the person; there was no history of ill-feeling. He may stay in that city until he has stood trial before the congregation and until the death of the current high priest. Then he may go back to his own home in his hometown from which he fled.””
Joshua 20:1-6 MSG

if you ever have read through the Old Testament, these verse were probably some that you skipped:):):). God commanded them to create cities that provided a place of protection if someone killed someone by accident.

I was thinking about the principal behind this verse this morning and a comforting thought came to me. As Christians, we need people who provide a place of refugee when we really mess up unintentionally. I have done this many times. Maybe I was so tired, I said something without thinking that hurt someone's feeling. Perhaps I did not know all the facts and I made a terrible choice. Last month at school, I walked out at 4:00 and totally forgot the faculty meeting. Totally forgot!

When that happened, it is nice to know that there may be a friend, family member or co-worker who will defend my innocence and not crucify me with gossip.

Works both ways-I can be a place of refugee to someone. I can be a person they will run to and I can help until their innocence is declared. I can stop the gossip mill by not adding to the accusations.

Lord, thank you for providing places of refuge when I need it. My sisters, friends and co-workers are a gift to me. Remind me to be that for them when they need it.