Numbers 35:10-11 “10 ‘Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11 then you shall select for yourselves cities to be your cities of refuge, that the manslayer who has killed any person unintentionally may flee there.’”
A SAFE PLACE
I love the fact that the Lord gave detailed instructions for the cities of refuge, places where an accused person could flee for safety until his case was heard by the elders. God didn’t want people to seek revenge ignorantly. He didn’t create these cities where the guilty could hide, though. It was never intended for that. He meant it for justice.
You may not realize it, but when these cities were designated their location allowed just about anyone access within 50 miles from where they were. When I served in Florida, the ministry I was serving had a Sanctity of Life program. One of our goals was to help create Pregnancy Counseling Centers within 50 miles of anyone in Florida. Basically, we wanted places of refuge where a woman could seek counsel about an unplanned pregnancy and help her choose life for that child. We wanted a safe place for the child.
TEACHING MOMENT
So, you are probably thinking, “Okay Carl, how in the world can I apply this to my kids?” I’m glad you asked. Our children need to know that we have a place of refuge, a safe place, in Christ. It is to Him we run for protection and comfort. It is to Him we run for forgiveness of sin. It is to Him we run to plead our case. And the beauty of it is we don’t have to go 50 miles. He is just a prayer away.
One of the most precious truths we can teach our children is the accessibility of Jesus. His Spirit is always within reach. There is no place He can’t reach. No matter how far our children may have strayed, they can still contact Him. Teach them to reach out to Him whenever and wherever they are.
A Moment In Time 