Is it possible to fully comprehend how God thinks?  The Psalmist attempted more than once to get into the head of God’s mind and describe Him; but there are just not enough words—

“The Lord is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens!
Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high,
who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?
He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people.
He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children.”     Psalm 113:4-9

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,”
 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.” Psalm 139:7-14

God is in the details. He created the world and everything in, above, and below it with meticulous, intricately designed detail! God knows all and is in all for He created all.  This is why God knows exactly what we need when we need it before we know!

God now reminds Joshua of His instructions to Moses to build safe places for people to run to in times of trouble as part of settling into the Promise Land.

God thinks of EVERYTHING!  Can I get an amen?!

Joshua 20

Cities of Refuge

Then the Lord said to Joshua: ² “Tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed you through Moses, ³ so that anyone who kills a person accidentally and unintentionally may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood. ⁴ When they flee to one of these cities, they are to stand in the entrance of the city gate and state their case before the elders of that city. Then the elders are to admit the fugitive into their city and provide a place to live among them. 

⁵ If the avenger of blood comes in pursuit, the elders must not surrender the fugitive, because the fugitive killed their neighbor unintentionally and without malice aforethought. ⁶ They are to stay in that city until they have stood trial before the assembly and until the death of the high priest who is serving at that time. Then they may go back to their own home in the town from which they fled.”

⁷ So they set apart Kedesh in Galilee in the hill country of Naphtali, Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the hill country of Judah. ⁸ East of the Jordan (on the other side from Jericho) they designated Bezer in the wilderness on the plateau in the tribe of Reuben, Ramoth in Gilead in the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan in the tribe of Manasseh. ⁹ Any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing among them who killed someone accidentally could flee to these designated cities and not be killed by the avenger of blood prior to standing trial before the assembly.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

“Innocent until proven guilty” is the basis of the American court system today. Where did we get this idea? From God’s Law given to Moses to write down for his people to follow.

God set up cities of refuge, places to run to in times of trouble, with protection for the innocent until their case was heard by consecrated Levites whose added responsibilities from God was to be judges as service to Him and His people. Because of the Levites’ position, they were not eligible to inherit land, but Joshua assigned them towns and pasturelands to provide for their needs within these cities of refuge. 

Because God is a just God who loves mercy, as aptly stated by Micah, the prophet later, God commands Joshua, as he did Moses, to set up a system for justice.

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8

God loves justice and mercy with relentless love for this people. So God, in His mercy, provides a safe place when unforeseen accidents occur!  There is no one like our God!

Pause to prayerfully consider—

• Who do I run to first in times of trouble? 
• When wrongly accused and harassed by those who want to do harm to me; who do I first ask to help me? 
• Who do I run to when I need help and counsel when I feel no one is listening? 
• Who is my number one “go to” person?
• Who is my safe place, my refuge, and my hope?

A chorus of my childhood is now playing in my mind;

In times like these, you need a Savior
In times like these, you need an anchor
Be very sure, be very sure
Your anchor holds and grips the solid rock

This rock is Jesus, yes, he’s the one
This rock is Jesus, the only one
Be very sure, be very sure
Your anchor holds and grips the solid rock

(Songwriters: Ruth Caye Jones, In Times Like These lyrics © New Spring Publishing Inc., New Spring Publishing, Inc., Sung by George Beverly Shea)

Believe what God said He would do He did and still does! “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:6-17

“While we were yet sinners; Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 Repent and be rescued from the bondage of sin.

God is our refuge, a safe place to run to in times like these.  Jesus is our hope with the promise of eternal life!  Nothing in our lives escapes the notice of God. God is working on our behalf before we know we need Him.  This is one of many reasons why God is so amazing!  It seems fitting to close with a powerful, favorite psalm of mine—

Read these beautiful words as our prayer for today’s daily manna from God:

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”

The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” (Psalm 46, NIV)

In Jesus Name, for our good and His glory, Amen