Charity Island is the largest island in Saginaw Bay in the Michigan waters of Lake Huron. For many years the island has provided a lighthouse for navigational aid and a safe harbor for those sailing these waters. The island received its name because sailors believed it was there âthrough the charity of God.â
Sometimes in life we have to navigate through seas of troubling circumstances. Like those sailors we need guidance and a place of safety; we might wish for our own Charity Island. The psalmist understood that God is the one who can bring tranquility to troubled waters and guide us to safe harbors. He wrote, âHe stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired havenâ (Ps. 107:29-30).
While no one asks for the storms of life, they can multiply our appreciation for the guidance and refuge God provides. He offers the light of His Spirit and His Word to guide us. It is the safe harbor of His love that we long for. He alone can be our ultimate âCharity Island.â
Todayâs psalm reminds us that God can indeed guide us to safe havens in the midst of lifeâs storms and trials. However, this psalm also reminds us that the same God who calms the storm and points the way to our âdesired havenâ (v. 30) is the God who sometimes stirs up the oceans in our lives. It is God who âstirred up a tempestâ (v. 25) that caused the sailors to melt with fear and reel and stagger (vv. 26,27). Then âthey cried out to the Lord . . . and he brought them out of their distressâ (v. 28). The God who stirs the seas wants us to turn to Him for help. J.R. Hudberg