FAITH IS POWER

FAITH IS POWER

 

"It is to be noted here that doubts and difficulties surround us just to move us and confirm our faith. We are tested as it were. If we only hold on steadily to Baba with full faith and continue our endeavours, our efforts will be ultimately crowned with success" –Sri Sai Satcharitra, ch. XXIX.

 

Faith is power. Without faith, living is impossible. We have the faith in tomorrow following today. That is what makes us take up activities and projects that extend beyond this day. People with no faith cannot plan; they face misery by their want of faith.

 

A rich man in South Africa once heard a divine which promised him a gold mine, if only he would dig at a certain place. He dug at that place to a depth of 200 feet and failed to discover any vein of gold. His faith declined. He doubted the authenticity of the voice. He talked to others how the voice misled him. When another rich man heard his story, he developed great faith in what he believed to be God's command. He dug in the same area and found a rich gold mine barely three feet below the surface of the earth. That became the richest and most famous of the gold mines of South Africa.

 

During the Second World War, steamer carrying Indian sepoys was bombed by the Japanese and was sunk. Many lost their lives. Only five men managed to row their life boats and hoped to have a chance to survive, in spite of the surging ocean. They were tossed about for many hours. One of them became desperate. "The sea will swallow me. I will be food for sharks," he cried, and, in panic, he fell into the sea. Another sepoy wept for his family, "I am dying without arranging for their future," he thought. He too lost faith in his survival and breathed to his last. The third man said, "Alas, I have with me the policy documents of insurance. What a pity I did not give them to my wife. How can she get the amount, now that I am dying?" And he also died.

 

The other two men reinforced each other's faith in God. They said, "We shall stick to life, however desperate the situation, because God has created us for some good purpose. We shall not yield to fear. We shall not give up faith in god's compassion and power." They had to give up the leaky boat and swim towards the shore. Within 5 minutes, a helicopter sent from a coastal ship which had received signals for help from the sinking steamer, sighted them and hauled them up to safety. While safe on land, they said, "It is only three feet of soil between victory and defeat." Faith won victory.

 

 

 

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