There are trillions of ants on the Earth, and all of them eat regularly. Yet, how often do we hear about ants dying from starvation? Somehow, each one is sustained. Likewise, elephants roam forests with enormous appetites, and still, each day, nature provides enough to meet their needs. This quiet, constant provision serves as a powerful reminder: God cares for every creature, big or small.
Yet, life’s tribulations often leave us feeling helpless and questioning: Is God really watching over us? In those moments of uncertainty, answers often come not with loud proclamations—but in ways we least expect. Let us lean in and read.
When Faith Tips the Scales
A distraught mother once stepped into a small grocery store and began pleading with the shopkeeper. “Sir, my husband lost his job, and I have four hungry children at home. Could you please spare some groceries?” The shopkeeper, stern and business-minded, shook his head, saying, “This is a store, not a charity. If you want food, you have to pay.”
“I don’t have money right now,” she said gently, “but if you could loan it to me, I will repay you as soon as I can.” The owner refused, “you don’t have a credit account here. I can’t help you.”
Meanwhile, overhearing this conversation, a man who stood nearby stepped forward. He had tremendous faith in God. He turned to the woman and asked her to write down a prayer on a piece of paper. Without reading it, he walked over to the shopkeeper and placed the slip on one side of the weighing scale. He said to the shop owner, “now, let her fill the other side with groceries. If the scale tips, I will pay the difference.”
The shopkeeper raised a sceptical eyebrow but agreed. He placed the slip on one side of the scale, ready to watch it rise with the first item on the other side. But as the woman began adding items, the scale held steady. No matter how much she placed on the other side, the scale never tipped. Stunned but true to his word, the shopkeeper bagged everything and handed it to the woman. Tears shimmered in her eyes as she whispered, “thank you” and walked out.
Still in disbelief, the shopkeeper turned to the man. “How is that possible? What kind of trick is this?”
“Let us read what is written in the slip,” the man suggested.
They unfolded the slip. Scrawled in simple handwriting were the words: “Dear Lord, you know my needs. I am placing this in Your hands.”
The man smiled and handed the shopkeeper $50. “Witnessing this moment was worth every penny.” Later, the shopkeeper inspected the scale and discovered it was broken all along—the mechanism that should have tipped it had failed. But the message was clear: the measure of faith transcends human calculations. When we trust God, even the impossible becomes possible.
When God Steps in Divine intervention often unfolds in unexpected ways. This is further illustrated in a compelling episode from the Mahabharat.
As the battle of Kurukshetra became imminent, Gandhari, the mother of the Kauravas, sought to safeguard her sons. She summoned Duryodhan, the eldest, to her chambers under the cover of night, with a specific request: “My son, come to me without any clothing. By the merit of my lifelong austerities, I will make your body invincible.” Gandhari had blindfolded herself for life in solidarity with her blind husband, Dhritarashtra. Her eyes had not seen the world in decades but had accumulated spiritual potency.
Duryodhan decided to obey his mother’s command. He set out in the dark of the night without a single thread on his body. As he made his way towards Gandhari’s chamber, Shree Krishna intervened.
“Duryodhan,” Krishna said, halting him, “is this how a wise man behaves? Roaming unclothed in the middle of the night?” Duryodhan explained his mother's request, but Shree Krishna rebuked him gently, "You are not a child, Duryodhan. It is improper to appear unclothed before your mother. At the very least, cover yourself.”
He then handed Duryodhan a towel. Duryodhan, following Krishna’s advice, tied it around his waist. When he arrived, Gandhari asked, “My child, have you come just as I instructed?”
“Yes, Mother,” he replied.
She removed her blindfold. Blazing with the fire of her penance, she cast her vision on Duryodhan’s body. Wherever her gaze fell, Duryodhan’s body turned invincible—iron-like. But when she reached his midriff, she paused.
She asked with dismay, “What is this cloth, my son?”
Duryodhan replied, “Mother, on the way, I met Krishna. He told me it was improper to come before you in such a state. Out of respect, I covered myself.”
Gandhari realized: Shree Krishna's intervention had created a chink in her son's armor. When Shree Krishna chooses to protect the Pandavas, nothing could override His divine will. The ancient proverb rang true: “rākhe krishna māre ke, māre krishna rākhe ke” If Krishna chooses to slay, who can save? And if Krishna chooses to protect, who can harm? It was that very vulnerable spot—the only place left untouched by Gandhari’s vision—that Bhimsen later struck with his mace, bringing Duryodhan to his fateful end.
Sheltered by a Cobweb
In our most desperate moments, when everything else fails, we discover that God responds to the depth of our surrender. Consider this story, where heartfelt surrender turns the tide of danger into divine shelter.
Once, amidst the chaos of a brutal war, a defeated army scattered in all directions. One weary soldier, heart pounding, legs trembling, fled for his life. Pursued by enemies, he stumbled upon a cave and darted inside, hoping the shadows would hide him.
Desperate, he whispered, “Bhagavan, today You alone are my refuge. If it pleases You, protect me.”
No sooner had he prayed than a spider began to weave a web across the mouth of the cave. The soldier watched in dismay. Is this some cruel joke? he thought. I prayed for protection, and all I get is a spider. But the spider wove on. Within minutes, the entrance was veiled in delicate threads.
Not long after, the enemy soldiers reached the cave. Hidden within, the soldier held his breath as they stood just outside. “Should we check inside?” one asked. Another scoffed, “Impossible. Look at that spider web. No one could have gone in without tearing it.”
And just like that, they walked off from there.
The soldier, overwhelmed with gratitude, fell to his knees. He whispered, “Bhagavan, today I understand—when You are with me, even a spider’s web becomes stronger than iron bars. And when Your grace is absent, iron bars are weaker than cobwebs.”
The Bhagavad Gita states,
अनन्याश्चिन्तयन्तो मां ये जना: पर्युपासते |
तेषां नित्याभियुक्तानां योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम् || ~ Verse 9.22
“There are those who always think of Me and engage in exclusive devotion to Me. To them, whose minds are always absorbed in Me, I provide what they lack and preserve what they already possess.”
In the above verse, God offers parental assurance to souls who surrender exclusively to Him. Shree Krishna declares, “I personally carry the burden of maintaining My devotees,” just as a married man carries the burden of maintaining his wife and children.
This implies that when we act from our independent will and depend upon our own prowess and abilities, God merely notes our karmas and gives the result. But when we offer ourselves exclusively to Him, God bestows His grace and takes full responsibility by doing Yogakshem. Yog means—He bestows His devotees the spiritual assets they do not possess including divine knowledge, detachment, faith, etc. Kshem means—He protects the spiritual assets that His devotees already possess.
Ultimately, it is not the shield, but the One holding it that matters. When Bhagavan fights your battles, even a spider can stand guard. As Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj in his principle composition Prem Ras Madira, says,
श्री राधे हमारी सरकार, फिकिर मोहिं काहे की ?
“If Radharani is my Sarkar, my sovereign, what do I have to fear?”
The Umbrella of Divine Love
Those who surrender to God with devotion, find themselves beneath His umbrella of divine love, as revealed in the life of Chokhamela.
In Pandharpur, lived a devotee named Chokhamela. He belonged to what society called a lower caste. But his heart burned with a love for God that no ritual could replicate, no priest could deny. Day after day, he stood outside Bhagavan Vitthal’s temple, singing, dancing, chanting, drenched in devotion. The townspeople marveled: "Oh Chokhamela, your bhakti is like the Ganga—pure, free-flowing!"
But whenever he stepped towards the temple, the local pandits raised a cold wall before him. “You cannot enter,” they said. “You are not worthy.” Chokhamela was bewildered, "Does the sun discriminate where it shines? Then why do you say God is not for me?" But society turned a deaf ear. And worse—they pierced him with cruel words: "If you cannot enter His temple, it must be that God doesn’t want you. Maybe He never did."
One night, with tears streaming down his face, Chokhamela fell before the Lord: “Am I not Yours, Vitthal? You said in the Gita, ‘I am equal to all beings’. Then why am I turned away?” In that moment, Bhagavan Vitthal manifested before Chokhamela and said, “Come, My child.”
Chokhamela stammered, “Maharaj... I am not qualified!” The Lord smiled, “Who told you that? I declare you worthy of my blessings.”
The Supreme Almighty took him by the hand and walked him straight into the sanctum. However, when the priest arrived and saw Chokhamela inside the temple, he was aghast. Chokhamela was then exiled and forced to live outside the city walls.
But walls could not keep God away from him.
Every evening, Bhagavan Vitthal would leave His temple to visit Chokhamela. One day, Chokhamela’s wife, Saira, accidentally spilled yogurt while offering bhog to the Lord. Chokhamela scolded her, “You have stained the Lord.” Just then, the temple priest happened to pass by and overheard the exchange. Misinterpreting Chokhamela's words as a deliberate display of devotion, the priest's anger flared, and he slapped Chokhamela. But when the priest stepped inside the sanctum... his eyes widened. The cheek of the deity of Bhagavan Vitthal was red and tears flowed down His eyes. The truth hit the priest like thunder: Chokhamela is not outside the temple. He lives in God's very heart.
True to the divine promise, the priests came, bowed before Chokhamela, and begged forgiveness. Thereafter, he was welcomed with honor. Even today, Chokhamela’s samadhi stands just outside the temple of Pandharpur.
Conclusion
When we surrender with sincerity, God surrounds us with a shield no force can break—whether through a broken scale, a spider’s web, or His divine manifestation. Faith is not always about sight; it is about trust in the unseen, the unshakable belief that God walks beside us, even in our darkest times. Even in times when we cannot see Him, God is always at work—weaving protection into our pain, and purpose into our waiting. His ways are often gentle, yet powerful. Hidden, yet unfailing. So, when the path is dark and the burden heavy, remember: the One who holds the stars also holds you. The One who feeds the ants and the elephants is also watching over you.
Resources
● God's Invisible Hand That's ALWAYS Protecting you - The Miracles of Faith | Swami Mukundananda
● Watch THIS to Believe God will ALWAYS Protect You | Swami Mukundananda
● Heart touching Story l Shree Krishna's Most Eye-Opening Message l Mahabharat l Swami Mukundananda
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