My husband and I listened to an online sermon recently which contained a story I had never heard before.
The USS Thresher was a nuclear-powered submarine that sank in 1963, killing all 129 people on board. A series of events caused it to sink and then to implode due to the extreme pressure deep in the ocean.
Research equipment with cameras that could withstand the oceanic pressure were lowered and found the Thresher in five pieces.
It’s hard to fathom water pressure strong enough to crush a submarine.
Yet there are fish and creatures that live at such depths. How are they not crushed?
This article tells of some features of a few specific deep-sea creatures. But the bottom line, Wikipedia says, is “Deep-sea organisms have the same pressure within their bodies as is exerted on them from the outside, so they are not crushed by the extreme pressure.”
The fish and other creatures aren’t crushed by deep sea pressure because their internal pressure is equal to it. In fact, many die (even explode) when they are brought to the surface for study because their pressure is no longer equalized.
We face a lot of pressures these days, don’t we? Making a living, keeping up with responsibilities, making time for those we love. Then we all have struggles against our own besetting sins. The world is getting less friendly to Christianity every day. And we have an enemy of our souls who seeks our destruction like a roaring lion.
We’re not equal to it in ourselves. “My flesh and my heart may fail,” Asaph says. Mine, too. But he goes on to say, “but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:26).
“Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). The one within us is more than equal to the pressures around us.
“Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us. We are pressured in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair” (2 Corinthians 4:7-8, HCSB).
Sometimes God relieves pressure by removing a burden from us. Other times, He gives us grace to bear it. He invites us to cast our care on Him, to depend on His strength in our weakness, to come to Him for rest.
(I often link up with some of these bloggers.)
Stray Thoughts 
This is great ! I’m going to use this at our next ladies brunch devotional . ( giving you credit of course . Thank you . Mary Yoder
Sent from my iPhone
>
Amazing parable! I will be pondering this today! Thanks for sharing your good thoughts.
Did not know that about deep sea creatures. Some days, it is amazing that pressure doesn’t make one implode, but thanks be to the one in us. Perplexed but no despair. Happy Sunday and week ahead.
Very good!
That pressure is real – so glad God doesn’t give us more than we can bear! Perfect analogy for our times!
We are not equal to the pressures in our lives but through God we are able to withstand them. I am thankful for that.
Barbara, amazing facts on sea creatures! With the stresses and challenges of these days we are in, we can often feel like a pressure cooker. I am so grateful our God is the “Equalizer”, releasing the pressure and helping us to withstand them – one day at a time.
I love this; I’ve been dealing with what feels like a lot of pressure the past week or two and this was really helpful. Thank you!
Barbara, such a simple lesson, yet profound in its depth! What a wonderful reminder of God’s strength within to help us navigate life’s pressures that threaten to crush us!
All the comments I want to say have been said. Interesting…
“The one within us is more than equal to the pressures around us.” I’m so very grateful for this truth!
Pingback: September Reflections | Stray Thoughts
Barbara,
Some days I do think I am going to be crushed by the pressure and the weight of the world pressing in on me. What a strengthening reminder — greater is He who is in me, than he who is in the world. Not my job to balance the pressure. I need to leave that to the Lord.
Blessings,
Bev xx
Thank you for encouraging my heart today, friend! Sharing so others can benefit.
His is how we handle the pressure. Thank you for the good word.
“The one within us is more than equal to the pressures around us.” Such comforting truth, Barbara. Also amazing is how God designed those deep-sea creatures to withstand all that pressure!