Christian Devotional – April 19, 2023

Joshua, Day 20

Ensuring justice. Read Joshua chapter 20.

The Lord made a provision for the people that if something terrible happened, the right person would be able to receive justice. He set up these cities of refuge. If an accident happened and had a terrible result, the person would still have an opportunity to plead their case. These cities of refuge ensured that would happen. They were not places where people got away with things, but they were places that ensured that all sides of the story were heard and understood before any actions were taken.

In the United States, our justice system provides for that today, but in those days and times, that was not common. Do we allow people the opportunity to tell us their side of the story? Or, do we judge them based on actions that very well could have been mistakes or accidents?

God wants to ensure that people have the opportunity to defend themselves and offer explanation. While we may not have situations to the extent of murder, do we allow people the opportunity to explain themselves to us for other things that they have done wrong that might have been accidents? How do we need to allow people to offer explanation to us today?