George Müller’s ministry to orphans began almost 200 years ago, yet the example of his uncomplicated trust in God for every daily provision continues to inspire people around the world today.
In The Autobiography of George Müller, his richness of faith is on full display. The book gives a rare glimpse into Müller’s life through excerpts from his personal diary. We see his early life of rebellion lead to a striking conversion as a young man. We share his daily struggles and triumphs as he answers God’s call to establish the first orphan houses in Bristol, England.
During his lifetime (1805-1898), Müller cared for more than 10,000 orphans as the director of the Ashley Down orphanage and provided Christian education to over 120,000 children in the 117 schools he established.
Yet in all these endeavors Müller never asked anyone for financial support, held a fundraiser, or went into debt. He only petitioned God for his needs and waited for him to move through people. Often he received food donations only hours before they were needed to feed the children. Through countless struggles God supplied every need—each victory further bolstering Müller’s faith.
Christians can find inspiring takeaways sprinkled throughout this book. Mine follow:
Müller spent much time in prayer. He learned that his first concern of the day was not how to serve the Lord, but to have his soul nourished. Müller found rising early in the morning to do so worked best.
Müller meditated on Scripture before praying. Thus, he said his heart was “comforted, encouraged, warned, reproved, and instructed.” This also helped him combat a wandering mind while praying.
Müller trusted God’s timing. Müller faced continual challenges and uncertainties in ministry just as we do. He persisted in prayer for more than 3 years for enough funds to come in to begin building the large Ashley Down orphanage. Because he was certain that the assignment was from God, Müller fully trusted He would supply. When money didn’t come in as soon as he would have liked, he adjusted his thinking to trust God’s timing, which always proved right.
Müller never borrowed money. Frequently he was questioned as to why he didn’t buy supplies on credit and trust God to pay for them later. “I could buy a considerable amount of goods on credit, but the next time we were in need, I would turn to further credit instead of turning to the Lord,” he said. “We consider it our precious privilege to continue to wait upon the Lord instead of buying goods on credit or borrowing money from kind friends. God is now in the tenth year of feeding these orphans, and He has never allowed them to go hungry. He will care for them in the future also.”
Let God work for you. Müller learned that when we work deliverance to a problem solely on our own and don’t wait patiently for God’s help and solution, with every subsequent trial our faith decreases. He shows us that God will prove His willingness to help and deliver at the perfect time. Our faith then will increase.
At first glance this book could be viewed as a dry and boring read, but it progresses into an inspiring testament of unwavering faith. Müller’s words of wisdom on how to trust God in life and ministry will inspire any Christian who wants to wholeheartedly serve the Lord they love. It’s a book I’m glad I read, and will continue to glean inspiration from throughout the coming days.
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