OUR DAILY BREAD : CITY OF REFUGE

[cimi]

August 1
Friday


CITY OF
REFUGE

READ:
Psalm 59:10-27
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I will sing of Your power;
yes, I will sing aloud
of Your mercy in the
morning; for You have
been my defense and
refuge in the day of my
trouble
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As we entered a town in Australia, we were greeted by a sign that declared: "We welcome all who are seeking refuge and asylum." This kind of welcome seems to resonate with the Old Testament concept of the cities of refuge. In the Old Testament era, cities of refuge (Num. 35:6) were established to be a safe haven for people who had accidentally killed someone and were needing protection. God had the people establish such cities to provide that refuge.

This concept, however, was not intended to be simply a practice for ancient Israel. More than that, cities of refuge reflected the heart of God for all people. He Himself longs to be our safe haven and our city of refuge in the failures, heartaches, and losses of life. We read in Psalm 59:16-17, "I will sing of Your power; yes, I will sing aloud of your mercy in the morning; for You have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble. To You , O my Strength, I will sing praises; for God is my defense, my God of mercy."

For the hurting heart of every generation, our "city of refuge" is not a place. Our city of refuge is a Person__the God who loves us with an everlasting love. May we find our refuge and rest in him. __Bill Crowder

```````````````````How oft in the conflict, when pressed by the foe,````````````````````
``````````````````I have fled to my Refuge and breathed out my woe;```````````````````
`````````````````````How often, when trials like sea billow roll,````````````````````````
```````````````Have I hidden in Thee O Thou Rock of my soul. __Cushing``````````````````
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Refuge can be found in the Rock of Ages.

**********************************Today's Bible Reading __ Palm 59:10-27********************************

10 My God of mercy shall
come to meet me; God
shall let me see my desire
on my enemies.

11 Do not slay them, lest
my people forget; scatter
them by Your power, and
bring them down, O Lord
our shield. 12 For the sin of
their mouth and the words
of their lips, let them even
be taken in their pride, and
for the cursing and lying
which they speak.

13 Consume them in wrath,
consume them, that they
may not be; and let them
know that God rules in
Jacob to the ends of the
earth.

14 And at evening they
return, they growl like a
dog, and go all around the
city. 15 They wander up and
down for food, and howl if
they are not satisfied.

16 But i will sing of Your
power; yes, I will sing
aloud of Your mercy in the
morning; for you have been
my defense and refuge in
the day of my trouble. 27 To
You, O my Strength, i will
sing praises; for God is my
defense, my God of mercy.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
According to the superscription at the beginning of Psalm 59, this
psalm was written to the tune of "Do Not Destroy," which is also
the tune of Psalms 57, 58, and 75. David wrote this psalm when
Saul had sent assassins to watch David's house (1 sam. 19:11).
David's wife Michal (Saul's daughter) helped him escape (v.12).