Staying Afloat

[36] And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. [37] And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. (Mark4:36-37)

Only seafarers can carefully with details explain the concept of sea storms to us in a way to lay down an adequate and concise illustration of what happened in the above verses. And more so it states that it was not just a storm, but a "great" storm. The striking thing about the story was that waves didn't just rock or toss the ship around, the intent of the waves was clearly defined... The waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. Meaning that storms are not just lurking around to give one a tickle or just a shake up, storms are meant to sink any ship. But is it not interesting that despite the fact that the waves filled the ship...... It still did not SINK!

God's plan for us is an unsinkable plan. He has built us up to stay afloat no matter the level of the storms we face. Make no mistake about it, storms must come.... But the master ensures that our ship stays afloat.

"I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I am come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me." ps69,2

Sinking occurs when there's no underlying resistance to the weight applied. This is why the psalmist clearly states that when there's no standing, Sinking occurs. In simple explanation, when the load is greater than the support, it collapses.

In my small experience as a structural engineer, a structure sinks or collapses based on some few factors which we will summarily study below....

SELF WEIGHT
Every structure has its own weight. Whether one is heavyweight, featherweight or lightweight, it doesn't matter. Our individual weights adds to the load applied on the bases under us. If you don't keep shape as a Christian it may slow you down in the race of life. Junk food can damage your health and put one out of shape. Paul said... "But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. (1cor9,27) Spiritual exercise as a believer helps to deal with the self weights on us. We must learn to fast, feed on the right words, be diligent to observe all relevant disciplines of the faith.

IMPOSED LOADS
In structures, imposed loads are the additional loads put on the structure. Eg if in a building, we refer to the furniture and the occupants of the house as imposed loads. Spiritually we call these extra baggage. Abraham took lot with him on his quest and he later turned out to be an extra load. The service life of any structure depends on the adherence to the specified number of users required. If this is abused, failure of the the structure is inevitable. It may be "spiritual" lots. It may range from a wrong relationship/associations, bad habits, presumptuous sins, wrong ambition/ career/vision. Etc. "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us (heb12,1)

WIND LOADS
This is the type of load that the pressure that comes from the wind imposes on structures. It was the same type of load that came against the ship that Jesus was in. Both self and imposed loads are most likely to be determined by our state of living but wind loads are external. Regardless of how we live it must surely come. It's an environmental hazard. Naturally speaking, one may have little or no control over it. This is where the enemy capitalises on. He brings the wind. And the winds can affect the waters. One can face the winds of adversity, pressures from different quarters. Problems not envisaged. How do you handle this? Exactly the way Jesus handled it..... "and he arose and REBUKED the wind and said unto the sea, PEACE, BE STILL. And the wind ceased, and the was a great calm. vs39.
You don't pamper the wind, or toggle alongside it to find out what happens in the end, one must arise and rebuke it. Staying afloat will be determined majorly by how vocally aggressive we are to satanic winds. For peace and calmness to return in certain troubled parts of our life,  we must take this stand or else the end might be a disaster. When the devil shows up, we must put him where he belongs. Quit complaining about what you are going through or who wronged you or failed to help you and arise as Jesus did.

Staying afloat is a choice we all must make. Yes, God puts an adequate underlying base under us to support us, but when we don't deal with these loads we may buckle. How are the weights on you threatening God's support? He has promised a safe arrival but we must ensure we don't take his presence as a leverage for complacency.
..... "He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places." ps18,33
The calf feet is made in a way that doesn't allow it to fall over under weight when it climbs the hills. David knew this and he said that God has given him that kind of feet. No matter wot the enemy throws at us, we will not fall over. We must stay afloat in Jesus name, Amen.