Treasure Found

Recently I found a clothbound copy of Roger Steer's excellent book, George Muller: Delighted in God!, at a sale at our local public library.  

I already had several paperback copies but finding this copy was a real "find".

I met Roger when I went to England to visit the Muller buildings and museum and he treated me well.

Be sure to pick up a copy for an excellent account of God's dealings with a man who trusted Him wholly.

God Still Provides

Recently I received the following e-mail from Kim Powell who was responding to my recent post £300 Plus.  Please check out the link which Kim refers to.  It will take you to her excellent blog entitled Via Peregrini.

Yes, God still provides for His own in remarkable ways.  He has NOT changed.

Here's that e-mail:

"Thank you for this post. For quite awhile now I have been completely dependent upon God to provide all that I need. George Muller is, obviously, part of that great cloud of witnesses that provide encouragement on such a narrow path.

On more than one occasion I'm sure someone gave me money they needed for themselves. This post reminded me that when God leads us to give, even out of our own neediness, he will provide.

A relatively recent blog post of mine shares my experience of following in the footsteps of George Muller.  I send this link along in case it's of interest. 

Thanks for your service!"

Kim

£300 PLUS

Recently I was encouraged as I read Joseph Stowell's account of a moving story from the 1800's in his excellent devotional book, Strength for the Journey.

He related how the Prince of Preachers, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, had been preaching a series of meetings in Bristol, England hoping to raise money for his orphanage back in London.

The week was drawing to a close and Spurgeon had already reached his goal of £300.  He was thrilled with the response but couldn't sleep that night.  God prompted him to give the money to George Muller to help with his orphanages right there in Bristol.  "But Lord?"  No, Spurgeon felt he must go to see Muller.

Arriving at Muller's home he found George on his knees in prayer.  Spurgeon handed over the £300 and Muller acknowledged that he had been seeking God for that exact amount.  They embraced and marvelled at the provision of God.

Upon his return to London, Spurgeon found an envelope containing £300 plus 300 shillings.  God had provided what Spurgeon had passed on to Muller...with interest.

As another great servant of God once said, "I shovel out and God keeps shoveling back but God has a bigger shovel."

Why do we doubt God's promises to provide?  He is Jehovah-Jireh...our Provider.

Simple Trust

Notes like the following e-mail which I received today encourage me but I sometimes feel a little hypocritical for not always living by the principles encouraged and practiced by George Muller (and espoused on this blog). May we learn to trust God daily and experience His provision in remarkable ways. - David

Mr. Fisher:

Just wanted to drop you a note and say that I enjoy your George Muller blog very much. Muller is one of my all-time favorite Christians to read about, and I do look forward to meeting him someday on the other side of Jordan. He inspires me (and shames me) with his total commitment to Christ and with his laserlike trust in the Ever-Living God. Your blog has served to emphasize many things about this godly man and the lessons he taught with his life.

May the Lord bless you and your family as you seek to serve Him in sincerity.

In Christ's bonds,

Stephen

Something Better

Having experienced multiple losses over the past 6-7 years, I appreciated the following quote when I came across it today.

I wonder what the Father has in store for YOU.

"Our heavenly Father never takes anything from his children unless he means to give them something better." - George Muller

A Life Well Lived

Much of what is posted here on the George Muller site is taken from other sources and is included here for the sake of those who may not be familiar with the life and lasting legacy of this man of God.  The following summary is taken from the Dictionary of National Biography, 1901 supplement by Thomas Boston Johnstone.

MÜLLER, GEORGE (1805-1898), preacher and philanthropist, born at Kroppenstadt near Halberstadt on 27 Sept. 1805, was the son of a Prussian exciseman. Though a German by birth, he became a naturalised British subject, and for over sixty years was identified with philanthropic work in England. When four years of age his father received an appointment as collector in the excise at Heimersleben. 

When ten years of age he was sent to Halberstadt to the cathedral classical school to be prepared for the university. His mother died when he was fourteen, and a year later he left school to reside with his father at Schoenebeck, near Magdeburg, and to study with a tutor. After two and a half years at the gymnasium of Nordhausen he joined the university of Halle.

Though he was intended for the ministry, Müller was a profligate youth, but at the end of 1825 a change came over his disposition, and he was thenceforth a man of self-abnegation, devoting himself exclusively to religious work. For a brief period Miiller gave instructions in German to three American professors, Charles Hodge of Princeton being one of them. 

In 1826 he resolved to dedicate himself to missionary work either in the East Indies or among the Jews in Poland. In June 1828 he was offered an appointment by the London Society for promoting Christianity among the Jews, and he arrived in London in March 1829 to study Hebrew and Chaldee and prepare for missionary service. But in 1830, finding that he could not accept some of the rules of the society, he left, and became pastor of a small congregation at Teignmouth, at a salary of 55l. a year. 

In the same year he married Mary Groves, sister of a dentist in Exeter, who had resigned his calling and 1,500l. a year to devote himself to mission work in Persia. Towards the close of the same year Müller was led to adopt the principle with which henceforth his name was associated, that trust in God, in the efficacy of sincere prayer, is sufficient for all purposes in temporal as well as in spiritual things. He accordingly abolished pew-rents, refused to take a fixed salary, or to appeal for contributions towards his support — simply placing a box at the door of the church for freewill offerings — and he resolved never to incur debt either for personal expenses or in religious work, and never to lay up money for the future.

After about two years in Teignmouth Müller went to Bristol, where he remained for the rest of his life. There he and others carried on a congregation, schools, a Scriptural Knowledge Institution, and other organisations, but the work among orphans was that by which he was chiefly known. The suggestion and the pattern of the Bristol orphanages were taken from the orphanages which Müller had visited in early life at Halle; these were erected in 1720 by a philanthropist named Francke, whose biography greatly influenced Müller. 

Beginning with the care of a few orphan children, Müller's work at Bristol gradually grew to immense proportions, latterly no fewer than two thousand orphan children being fed, clothed, educated, cared for, and trained for useful positions in five enormous houses which were erected on Ashley Down. These houses cost 115,000 pounds all of which, as well as the money needed for carrying on the work — 26,000 pounds annually — was voluntarily contributed, mainly as the result of the wide circulation of Müller's autobiographical ‘Narrative of the Lord's Dealings with George Müller’ (London, pt. i. 1837, pt. ii. 1841; 3rd edit. 1845) which was suggested to him by John Newton's ‘Life.’ This book conveyed to people in all parts of the world knowledge of Müller's work, his faith, and his experiences. As a consequence, gifts of money and goods flowed in without direct appeal.

In 1838 the biography of the great evangelist, George Whitfield, helped to intensify Müller's religious fervour, and, after he had passed his seventieth year, he set out on a world-wide mission, which, with brief intervals at home, covered seventeen years. He travelled over much of Britain and of the continent of Europe, made several journeys to America, and visited India, Australia, China, and other parts to preach the gospel.

In the course of his life Müller received from the pious and charitable no less than 1,500,000l.; he educated and sent out into the world no fewer than 123,000 pupils; he circulated 275,000 bibles in different languages, with nearly as many smaller portions of Scripture; and he aided missions to the extent of 255,000l. He supported 189 missionaries, and he employed 112 assistants. The record of his life seems to associate itself more closely with primitive and puritan periods of history than with modern times.

Müller was found dead in his room on the morning of 10 March 1898.

Müller was twice married. His first wife died in 1870. In 1871 he married Miss Susannah Grace Sangar, who accompanied him in his missionary tours; she died in 1895. From 1832 till his death in 1866 Henry Craig assisted Müller. In 1872 Mr. James Wright, who married Müller's only child, Lydia, became his assistant, and the work is still being carried on under Mr. Wright's superintendence.

[The Lord's Dealings with George Müller (London), 5 vols. 1885; Annual Reports of Scriptural Knowledge Institution; Memoir of George Müller, reprinted from the Bristol Mercury, 1898; Pierson's George Müller of Bristol, with introduction by James Wright, 1899.]

Looking for the Author of This Story

The following story was posted in December 2008.  I believe I received it by e-mail but we lost many of our e-mails when our computer crashed.  A representative from the George Muller Charitable Trust has contacted me to ask if I know the name of the person who submitted this story.  

If you are reading "this" and YOU are the one who sent me the story, please e-mail me and I will forward your contact information to the man who got in touch with me.

Thanks so much!

David Fisher

Here is the story that I posted:

In 1939 my mother died; I was eight at the time. There were four children in our family, and we lived in Highley Nr Bridgenorth in Shropshire . It was war time and my father was in his sixties. He was too old to look after us and needed to find somewhere for us to go together to be looked after. My Aunty went to church at a little Mission Hall in Birmingham where they supported an orphanage called George Müller's Homes. My Aunty felt this would be the right place for us to go and persuaded my father to send us there. My brother and one sister went in 1939 and I followed a year later in 1940. My other sister stayed home with them.

I arrived at Müller's very excited and wondering what life would be like, but missing my mum and my other sister, as we had been very close. I had been fostered for a year, which had been a very unhappy experience when I often went hungry. George Müller's Homes seemed like heaven to me, with regular meals, plain and simple, clean clothes, baths (I hadn't had many of them) good shoes, discipline and education. We read the Bible and sang children's songs. We had our own hymn book, a copy of which I still have today. I did not know anything at all about Jesus. I was so hungry for love and in such need of reassurance that as I heard the stories of Jesus, who loved me, a little orphan, my heart just opened up to him. I was nine then, and Jesus and those truths are still with me at the age of 74.

What was life really like there? Fun and hard. It was wartime, and we had to share everything. We slept 60 to a dormitory, made our own beds, scrubbed and polished floors, worked in the laundry (for about a thousand children and the staff). Imagine the washing for all of us! We were taught to clean our own shoes, brush our hair, knit our own stockings and socks darn them too. We used scrubbing boards in the laundry, learned how to lay tables, wait at tables, clean silver and polish furniture. We learned how to make our own clothes, stitch samplers, write letters, to sing and recite poetry, march to music, skip to music, sing the alphabet and other songs. My favourite was reciting poetry, and I write it and love it to this day thanks to Mullers dedicated teaching staff. People came from far and wide to see us perform. We were taught to write properly with nib pens and ink Although the teaching staff could not really show affection because they mustn't be seen favouring one more than another they were very kind. We did miss out on cuddles which made me miss my mum more, but I was fortunate I had a big sister and a brother in the boy's department who we saw once a month. When we left Müller's it was hard to get close to him as we'd missed out on the growing up and together times.

The highlight for me was Sunday afternoons when the book cupboard was opened. I was an avid reader then and still am. We were encouraged to read all good books and it taught me to choose carefully what things I read and I vetted all my children's books and comics as they were growing up. I read 'Pilgrim's Progress', and 'The Holy City' by John Bunyan, and was fascinated in later life to see the cage on Bedford bridge where he was imprisoned. I now have my own copy of 'The Holy War'. I always had a copy of 'Pilgrims Progress' as we were given a Bible and a copy of Pilgrims Progress when we left the home.

There is so much more I could tell! Such is my love for Müller's and the happy times I had there that I go up there every year to our reunion and am on the committee which runs it. Old boys and girls come from all over the world. George Müller and his Faithful God live on in his family, of which I am proud to belong. We sing the song 'We Love This Family of God' and one line in it says 'We are family, we are one' - and that's how we feel!

Wikipedia

Have you checked out the Wikipedia page on George Muller for additional information on his life and work?

They try to ensure that the material posted there is accurate. 

It, at least, will give you more links to him and you can research this godly man's impact on his generation and those to follow.

Here's the link to the George Muller page in Wikipedia:

Muller's Maturity

The following steps to Christian maturity that shaped George Muller's life should spur us on to a Christ-like life.  All too often we look at the life of "one of God's choicest servants" and reluctantly decide that we could never achieve such godliness.  By God's empowerment every follower of Christ can mature into a vessel of honour for his purpose.

A. T. Pierson in his classic work, George Muller of Bristol, recounts the following points:

It will be well, even if it involves some repetition, to pass in review the more important steps in the process by which the divine Potter had shaped His vessel for His purpose, educating and preparing George Mueller for His work.

1. First of all, his conversion. In the most unforeseen manner and at the most unexpected

time God led him to turn from the error of his way, and brought him to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

2. Next, his missionary spirit. That consuming flame was kindled within him

which, when it is fanned by the Spirit and fed by the fuel of facts, inclines to

unselfish service and makes one willing to go wherever, and to do whatever, the Lord will.

3. Next, his renunciation of self. In more than one instance he was enabled to

give up for Christ's sake an earthly attachment that was idolatrous, because it

was a hindrance to his full obedience and single-eyed loyalty to his heavenly

Master.

4. Then his taking counsel of God. Early in his Christian life he formed the habit, in things great and small, of ascertaining the will of the Lord before taking action, asking guidance in every matter, through the Word and the Spirit.

5. His humble and childlike temper. The Father drew His child to Himself,

imparting to him the simple mind that asks believingly and trusts confidently,

and the filial spirit that submits to fatherly counsel and guidance.

6. His method of preaching. Under this same divine tuition he early learned how to preach the Word, in simple dependence on the Spirit of God, studying the Scriptures in the original and expounding them without wisdom of words.

7. His cutting loose from man. Step by step, all dependence on man or appeals to man for pecuniary support were abandoned, together with all borrowing, running into debt, stated salary, etc. His eyes were turned to God alone as the Provider.

8. His satisfaction in the Word. As knowledge of the Scriptures grew, love for

the divine oracles increased, until all other books, even of a religious sort, lost

their charms in comparison with God's own text-book, as explained and

illumined by the divine Interpreter.

9. His thorough Bible study. Few young men have ever been led to such a

systematic search into the treasures of God's truth. He read the Book of God

through and through, fixing its teachings on his mind by meditation and

translating them into practice.

10. His freedom from human control. He felt the need of independence of man in order to complete dependence on God, and boldly broke all fetters that hindered his liberty in preaching, in teaching, or in following the heavenly Guide and serving the heavenly Master.

11. His use of opportunity. He felt the value of souls, and he formed habits of

approaching others as to matters of salvation, even in public conveyances. By a word and witness, a tract, a humble example, he sought constantly to lead some one to Christ.

12. His release front civil obligations. This was purely providential. In a strange way God set him free from all liability to military service, and left him free to pursue his heavenly calling as His soldier, without entanglement in the affairs of this life.

13. His companions in service. Two most efficient co-workers were divinely

provided: first his brother Craik as like-minded with himself, and secondly, his

wife, peculiarly God's gift, both of them proving great aids in working and in

bearing burdens of responsibility.

14. His view of the Lord's coming. He thanked God for unveiling to him that

great truth, considered by him as second to no other in its influence upon his

piety and usefulness; and in the light of it he saw clearly the purpose of this

gospel age, to be not to convert the world but to call out from it a believing

church as Christ's bride.

15. His waiting on God for a message. For every new occasion he asked of Him

a word in season; then a mode of treatment, and unction in delivery; and, in

godly simplicity and sincerity, with the demonstration of the Spirit, he aimed to

reach the hearers.

16. His submission to the authority of the Word. In the light of the holy oracles he reviewed all customs, however ancient, and all traditions of men, however popular, submitted all opinions and practices to the test of Scripture, and then, regardless of consequences, walked according to any new light God gave him.

17. His pattern of church life. From his first entrance upon pastoral work, he

sought to lead others only by himself following the Shepherd and Bishop of

Souls. He urged the assembly of believers to conform in all things to New

Testament models so far as they could be clearly found in the word, and thus

reform all existing abuses.

18. His stress upon voluntary offerings. While he courageously gave up all fixed salary for himself, he taught that all the work of God should be maintained by the free-will gifts of believers, and that pew-rents promote invidious distinctions among saints.

19. His surrender of all earthly possessions. Both himself and his wife literally

sold all they had and gave alms, henceforth to live by the day, hoarding no

money even against a time of future need, sickness, old age, or any other

possible crisis of want.

20. His habit of secret prayer. He learned so to prize closet communion with

God that he came to regard it as his highest duty and privilege. To him nothing

could compensate for the lack or loss of that fellowship with God and

meditation on His word which are the support of all spiritual life.

21. His jealousy of his testimony. In taking oversight of a congregation he took

care to guard himself from all possible interference with fulness and freedom of

utterance and of service. He could not brook any restraints upon his speech or

action that might compromise his allegiance to the Lord or his fidelity to man.

22. His organizing of work. God led him to project a plan embracing several

departments of holy activity, such as the spreading of the knowledge of the word of God everywhere, and the encouraging of world-wide evangelization and the Christian education of the young; and to guard the new Institution from all

dependence on worldly patronage, methods, or appeals.

23. His sympathy with orphans. His loving heart had been drawn out toward

poverty and misery everywhere, but especially in the case of destitute children

bereft of both parents; and familiarity with Francké's work at Halle suggested

similar work at Bristol.

24. Beside all these steps of preparation, he had been guided by the Lord from his birthplace in Prussia to London, Teignmouth, and Bristol in Britain, and thus the chosen vessel, shaped for its great use, had by the same divine Hand been borne to the very place where it was to be of such signal service in testimony to the Living God.  

Meditate...Then Pray

Christian meditation (thinking deeply on Scripture) is "the missing link between Bible intake and prayer."  If there was a "secret" to George Müller's prayer life, it was his discovery of the connection between meditation and prayer.  Müller's discovery was that after meditating on Scripture he was more able to experience a meaningful prayertime.

-Donald S. Whitney, "Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life" (partial quote and partial paraphrase).