During the 1800’s, a bit of a dilemma was brewing on the high seas, for an increasingly high number of cargo ships were being lost, along with their crews. The ships were recklessly overloaded, weighed down by tons of valuable cargo, rendering them unable to maintain buoyancy when confronted with the hazards of high waves or abrupt changes in water temperature. Samuel Plimsoll, a member of the British Parliament, became so concerned over the continual loss of ships and lives that he persuaded his fellow members to pass the Unseaworthy Ships Bill, mandating ships to mark the sides of their vessels with a line that would disappear beneath the surface of the water if the ship was overloaded. That load line became known as the Plimsoll line and is still in use on the hulls of ships today.
Often times we find ourselves as overloaded as those ships of old, so overwhelmed with fear, trials, heartaches, and struggle that we feel as if we are in peril of going under, sinking under the weight of our heavy load of care. Perhaps it is reassuring to realize that the psalmist David, that man after God’s own heart, also stood on the deck of that overburdened, sinking ship, and we can learn a valuable lesson from that shepherd king. When David was in profound despair, he was transparent before his God, childlike, revealing the deepest emotions of his heart, “Hear my cry, O God…when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than me.” Listen to the pleading heart of David: I’m overwhelmed, my Father, languishing under a shroud of darkness. I am unable to ascend above my crisis to that firm-footed place, that place of stability and security; I am too weak on my own, so You will have to lead me there. You have always been my ‘shelter’ and my ‘strong tower.’ So as I have done many times before, ‘I will trust in the covert of thy wings,’ that protective covering, that secret place I find with You.
In those times when I feel as though my ship is beginning to sink, when I face the real danger of going under, it is reassuring to remember that I have a remarkable resource, a rock upon which to anchor my soul. I have a Father Who encourages me to cast all my care upon Him, for He cares so deeply for me. David often sought protection from his enemies amidst the huge rocks found in the Judean wilderness, but he realized that his true refuge was in the Rock of Ages. God alone knows our load limits, our Plimsoll line. We can rest in the confidence that whatever we face, He is more that capable of bearing it for us, all while keeping us safely afloat.
I Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
My Dearest Father, I am so blessed to have You as the anchor of my soul. When I feel this ship sinking beneath the load of life, I know that You will keep me safely afloat. Help me to rest in the safety of the Rock of Ages.