I recently read about the life of a Christian hero, George Muller. Before picking up the book, I had never heard of him or of the things that God did through him. George Muller was a man of tremendous faith in God. Over a century ago, he opened up the first orphanage in the city of Bristol, England. Through the course of his ministry, each building or set of buildings became too small for the number of orphaned children that flooded in from the streets. With each new land purchase and construction project, George Muller never asked for a cent from anyone. Whenever there was a financial need, George would get down on his knees and ask the Lord for His provision. His prayers were simple and to the point. Amazingly, God responded to each request almost immediately. For example, George was informed by a matron of the orphanage that there was no food for the children’s breakfast one morning. He walked into the dining room and prayed this prayer with the 300 waiting children, “Dear God, we thank you for what you are going to give us to eat. Amen.” Soon, there was a knock at the door. A local baker said that he couldn’t get any rest the night before because he felt he needed to make some bread for the children in the orphanage. Then there was a second knock. This time the wheel of a milkman’s cart was broken, but, as the milkman explained, the weight of the milk was making the process of repairing the wheel very difficult. So, he offered George milk for the children for free. The children left the dining room that morning with their stomachs full.
As George’s ministries grew, so did the size of the needs, and so did George’s faith as he got down on his knees each time and humbly sought the Lord’s provision. George had full confidence after every prayer that God would answer. And, God never let him down. If, like me, you had never heard of George Muller before, I recommend you read up on him as his whole life is an incredible testimony of what faith in God can do.
Reading of this hero of the faith has forced me to examine my own life and the amount of faith I have. There has been so many times where I have faced tough or challenging situations and I really needed some help. I prayed for God’s will to be done and for Him to meet the need. I know that I am lacking in faith because not long after I placed my petition before God, I found myself trying to fix the situation on my own or I sought the help of other people. George Muller’s story has given me hope and I’m excited to see what God will do when my dependence is off myself and other people and on God alone. In fact, after I finished the book on George’s life, I knelt at my bed (my bed for this month anyway) and prayed a simple prayer for a couple specific needs that I have right now. I can’t wait to see what God is going to do.
I have a greater joy now when I read passages from the Bible like these…
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8
“…I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20
