WORLD’S RESOURCES VS.GOD ALONE  

There is a thought provoking story in the Mahabharata. The Kauravas and the Pandavas were campaigning to keep the maximum forces with them.  In that process both approached Krishna who is not a ‘king’ but had a well trained army of more than 10,000 men.

Duryodhana came first to Krishna. He saw Krishna sleeping (actually he was pretending to be sleeping) and decided to wait till he is awake. At first he was sitting at Krishna’s feet. He thought,  “Why should I, an emperor, sit at the feet of Krishna who is only a cowherd?”  So he moved to sit close his head. Meanwhile Arujuna came and sat close to his feet.  Krishna’s feet were pointing at him and he sees that as a blessing. After a while (watching all that was happening around) Krishna pretended to wake up.  He opened his eyes and told Arjuna, “Oh, Arjuna you have come.” Arjuna said, “Yes Bhagwan, I have come.”

Duryodhana cleared his throat to make his presence felt. Krishna said, ”Oh Duryodhana, even you? Both of you at the same time – what brings both of you here?”  (as if he is not knowing anything)

Then both of them said that they have come to ask for his help in the war. Krishna said, “Both of you have come and both of you are asking for the same thing, so let me put it this way. One of you can have my army, another can have me. But I won’t fight; I’ll just come with you. Because my vision fell upon Arjuna first, he gets the first choice.”

Duryodhana protested, “I came here first!” Krishna said, “But what can I do? I saw him first.”

Then Krishna told Arjuna, “You choose what you want.” Arjuna said, “Bhagwan we want you, I don’t care about the army. We just want you with us.” Krishna warned, “I am not going to fight for you. I’ll just come with you.” He said, “You don’t have to do anything, we just want you with us.”  

Then Duryodhana let out a sigh of relief – he was so happy! He knew the Pandavas were idiots, but he never thought they were such idiots, that they will choose one man against 10,000 trained men. And this one man is not going to fight also!   10,000 trained men against one man who is not going to fight – what a foolish choice!

But the events in the Mahabharatha war proved that the very same choice made all the difference.  

St. Paul in the Epistle to Romans says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Rom 8:31) 

In the book of Exodus, we see the following beautiful conversation with Yahweh and Moses: "My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest." Then he said to Him, “If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth?” (Exod. 33:14-16)