This World is No Match

After hearing this event spoken about by Rev. Tom Trimble this evening, I researched it a bit and thought some of his thoughts along with my own were worth sharing.

On April, 10^th 1963, disaster struck the USS Thresher, the lead ship in her class of nuclear-powered attack submarines in the US Navy. During routine deep diving tests approximately 220 miles of the coast of Cape Cod, MA, the failure of a weld in the salt water piping system caused high pressure water to short out electrical panels, which in turn caused a shutdown of the reactor. This caused the sub to lose all power, begin drifting and then to sink. Efforts to blow ballast tanks were met with failure as excessive moisture froze and plugged the valves where the high pressure air would have flowed. The USS Skylark, a sub rescue ship that accompanied the Thresher, hears the high-energy low-frequency noise with characteristics of an implosion. 129 service men lose their lives in 1-2 seconds.

Deeps sea vehicles find the wreckage in six major pieces at a depth of 8400ft. The pressure at that depth is 3600lbs per square inch. The Thresher looked as if it were a crushed tin can. But what they didn’t expect to find at the site was this……LIFE! The area was teeming with life. Marine life whose skin was no thicker that 1/8-1/4 of an inch were surviving at these incredible depths. It caused those searching the site to wonder, what kind of force was in these fish to keep them alive.

Isn’t it amazing? With all that we have seen lately, the loss of a loved one, the destruction of nature, the multitude of prayer requests; its human nature to understand if one should succumb to the pressures of this life. Sometimes we are not ready when life hits us hard. We are unable to see the catastrophic spiritual failure that could happen if we become complacent in our daily walk. One hurt, one wrong attitude showed toward us, or one temptation we are not prepared for could send us spiraling into the depths of spiritual destruction. It was later discovered that the joint that probably failed in the Thresher was brazed rather than welded. Prior tests showed only a potential problem with 14% of the joints. It was determined not to pose a significant risk to warrant repair. How sad that a small weakness brought down a mighty vessel. So it is with our spiritual walk. We can look at all the positive results and mighty strengths of our walk (which we should recognized and give God the glory), but our downfall may be the little nagging weakness. The little problem we have that we brush away, but ultimately leads to our spiritual demise.

But there is a hope! So let us proclaim this! Just as the life at those great depths had something inside of them, you have something even greater. God has blessed you with His gift! His Spirit. It is a strength that cannot be defeated. There is no weapon formed against you that will prosper. Despite the pressures around you, despite what this world throws at you, His strength is perfect.

This world is no match.

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

Rom 8:31 What shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?