Protection

I am so grateful for the men and women who serve in the US Military to protect and defend the freedoms that I enjoy every day. I get to lie down at night and rest because of what they do. I can hardly imagine what it would be like to live in a country where I didn’t feel protected. I’m also grateful for the men and women who serve in law enforcement. They protect and defend the law of the land. They also provide protection of private property and defend our rights on a daily basis.

As I sit in my home, I feel a sense of protection around me even though I can’t actually see them. I have one more layer of protection with a security system that if it is tripped or set off, the police are automatically called to come protect me.

The Lord instructed the people of Israel to set up “cities of refuge” in the land. These cities were to be easily accessible from all areas of the land. Check this out…

1 When the Lord your God has destroyed the nations whose land he is giving you, and when you have driven them out and settled in their towns and houses, 2 then set aside for yourselves three cities in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess. 3 Determine the distances involved and divide into three parts the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that a person who kills someone may flee for refuge to one of these cities.

4 This is the rule concerning anyone who kills a person and flees there for safety – anyone who kills a neighbor unintentionally, without malice aforethought. (Deuteronomy 19:1-4 NIV)

The city of refuge was a protective measure for someone involved in an accidental death. The city was not to protect a malice murderer. In our culture we would call that manslaughter. There will still be punishment involved, but not nearly at the level of malice murder.

I wonder what the people of these cities were like. Did they have extra law enforcement? Did they have extra buildings with secret hiding places? I imagine that the family member who was named the “avenger of blood” would come there looking for the person responsible for the death of his family member or friend – even if it was an accident.

There are times when I need a “city of refuge” – places to retreat. I’ve not accidentally killed anyone literally, but I don’t want to kill or harm others with my words or grumpy attitude either. I need to step back from my normal routines to a safe place to rest and recover. Sometimes the routines at our place of work offers little time for retreat and reflection. I have actually tried scheduling a time of rest and renewal in my daily schedule. I must confess that it gets squeezed out some. I believe everyone needs to know the rhythms of their life, their mind and their heart. The Lord has become my Refuge – the One Who renews my heart every day as I walk with Him. I am ready to take on the day after I’ve had some quiet time with Him to prepare.

Pressing On!

Dwayne