R.D. Bhardwaj “Noorpuri”
During World War II, a US Marine was separated from his unit on a Pacific island. The fighting had been very intense and in the smoke and the crossfire, he had lost touch with his comrades. Alone in the jungle, he could hear enemy soldiers coming in his direction. Scrambling for some cover to protect his life, he found his way up a high ridge to several small caves in the rocks. Quickly he crawled inside one of the caves. Although safe for the moment, he also realised that since the enemy soldiers are looking for him, if they swept up the ridge, they would easily and quickly search all the caves and thereafter, he would be easily killed. As he waited, he prayed, “Oh Lord, if it be your will, please protect me. Whatever your will though, I love you and trust you. I want to see my family and parents, I don’t want to die before I see my dear ones !! Please save me, God !”
After praying, he lay quietly listening to the foot-steps of the enemy begin to draw close and close. He thought, “Well, I guess the Lord isn’t going to help me out of this worst moments of my life.” As he was cuddling behind a big stone inside a cave, he saw some spiders crawling out of the cave and soon they started building a web over the front of his cave. As he watched, listening to the enemy searching for him all the while, the spiders layered strand after strand of their web across the opening of the cave.
As the enemy drew closer searching for him from place to place, he watched from the darkness of his hideout and could see them searching one cave after another. There was complete darkness inside the cave and he could see the movement outside, but persons moving in front of the cave could not see inside the cave. As they came to the cave in which he was hiding, he got ready to make his last stand. To his amazement, however, after just glancing in the direction of his cave, they stood there for a few moments. One of the enemy soldier asked, should I search for that crab in this cave ? But his senior said to him, “Don’t you see this spider’s web, it seems to have been woven many months ago, had he crept into this cave, this web might have been broken, but it is all intact.” Saying so, he told his colleagues to move on to the next place to search as to where he has hid himself.
As he observed the foot steps of the enemy soldiers going far off from that place, he crawled somewhat nearer to the mouth of the cave, he was totally awe-struck to see the spider’s web over the entrance, his cave looked as if no one had entered it for quite a while. “Oh Lord, Please forgive me, I had doubts as to how this poor spider’s web could save me from the bullets of the enemy, but I had forgotten that in fact, the spider’s web is stronger than a brick wall. I also did not know that your ways of helping the people in distress are really mysterious and amazing, You are simply great. Please forgive me, dear God!”
We all face times of great trouble. When we do, it is so easy to forget the victories that God would work in our lives, sometimes in the most surprising and astonishing manner. As the great leader, Nehemiah, reminded the people of Israel when they faced the task of rebuilding Jerusalem, “In God we will have success!”
Remember: Whatever is happening in your life, with God, a mere spider’s web can become a strong wall of bricks and cement for your protection. Trust and believe that He is with you, always. Just ask for his help with your clear conscience, and you will see His great power and love for you.
