S1E7: Is There Something MORE to be Found in Your Place of REFUGE?

Is there something MORE to be found in your place of REFUGE?A refuge is a place where one feels safe, secure and sheltered from pursuit, danger or trouble. It can also be found outside while enjoying the peace and serenity of God’s creation or an inward place of solitude and silence. Wherever it may be, a healthy place of refuge should provide a space for self-care, rejuvenation and for re-centering our lives.Finding a place of refuge would have been a priority for Ruth and Naomi in their time of mourning. Both were hurting and grieving. Ruth lost her husband. Naomi not only lost her husband, but her two sons as well.The entire village of Bethlehem was in a stir when they arrived from Moab. Broken and bitter about the way things turned out in Moab, Naomi wanted to be called by a new name, “Mara,” which means, bitter. Ruth, on the other hand, mourned her loss in a different way. She decided she would explore and discover what this new place of refuge in the Promised Land of Israel had to offer. It was springtime and the barley harvest was at hand. So her first curious pursuit began with a simple request.† And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain, behind someone in whose sight I may find favor.” She said to her, “Go, my daughter.” Ruth‬ ‭2:2‬ ‭NRSV‬The Levitical law of the Israelites called for the reapers of a harvest field to never reap an entire field, but to leave the outer edges for the poor. † When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest; you shall leave them for the poor and for the alien: I am the Lord your God. Leviticus‬ ‭23‬:‭22‬ ‭NRSV‬‬However, land owners were not always kind nor always followed this particular Levitical law. This is WHY Ruth was hoping to not just follow any reaper, but one in whose sight she may find favor! […] READ MORE by clicking on the link below.https://yanceyvaldez.com/is-there-something-more-to-be-found-in-your-place-of-refuge/Send us Fan MailSupport the showDid you like what you heard today?For more information about this podcast, episodes, and ways to support it, check out our website at https://DeepenYourFaithRenewYourLife.com.Consider also partnering with us, with a PREMIUM CONTENT monthly subscription. It’s real easy through our Buzzsprout link at https://deepenyourfaithrenewyourlife.buzzsprout.com . You’ll get bonus episodes we have specifically set apart for our supporting subscribers.Any positive ratings, kind words in the comments section, or sharing this podcast with friends and loved ones are also great ways to show our support! Find us on… Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DeepenYourFaithRenewYourLife/ X at https://twitter.com/yanceyvaldez LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/yancey-valdez-35793311b/  Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/yanceyvaldez/ This podcast is produced and hosted by Yancey Valdez. Cover art by Yancey Valdez. Copyright © 2024 by Yancey Valdez. All rights reserved.