Sing to the LORD a new song, Sing His praise from the end of the earth! You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it. You islands, and those who dwell on them (Isaiah 42:10 ESV).
Angel Island is a small island in the San Francisco Bay, near Alcatraz. One year, I was fortunate enough to be able to spend an entire summer on the island with my sister, who lived there with her husband and two kids. I was so excited to get away from home that I never stopped to think about how far away I was actually going. I had never been away from home for longer than a day and never traveled farther than minutes away. I was about to go miles and hours away. It wasn’t until we arrived at the docks in San Francisco that I realized that no matter how homesick I might get, there was no turning back.
I decided to think of my upcoming summer as a ride on a roller coaster. Once the ride started, no matter how afraid I got, there was nothing I could do about it. So, I might as well try and enjoy it.
I ended up having a great time. We played on the beach, had barbecues and took the boat into San Francisco to shop.
After my summer vacation ended, and we were driving up to my house, my heart jumped inside of me. Oh, what a beautiful sight! Like Dorothy said in The Wizard of Oz, ‘There’s no place like home.” And even though I ended up having a good time, I never spent an entire summer away from home again.
Why am I telling you this story?
Because I want to point out how God comforts us even when we aren’t aware of His presence. I was a teenager who had yet to give my heart to the Lord. Yet God took care of me and made me feel safe on that island. I could have cried and begged my sister to take me home; but something inside me kept telling me that everything would be fine.
You see, God has our backs, whether we are saved or unsaved; whether we are home or far away from home, He is always watching over us and our loved ones. And if we trust Him and commit our lives to Him, he eventually will bring us home to heaven!
Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand (Isaiah 41:10 NASB).
Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him (John 14:23 NASB).
Debbie Mitchell