George Müller once said, "The first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day is to have my soul happy in the Lord." I've thought a lot about that statement and after reading several biographies on Müller's life, I am convinced that he lived out that goal.
“Be assured, if you walk with Him and look to Him, and expect help from Him, He will never fail you.”
Most of you are probably familiar with George Müller. The stories of his faith in God's provision are well known and his work with orphans is well documented. Often when I read about men like Müller, I can't help but wonder about the individual orphans whose lives were changed forever. I start to imagine and create back stories of what COULD have happened based on the information we have of what DID happen.
After reading several dozen letters written by some of George Müller's orphans, I created a composite of characters that surrounded a true event that was recorded in Muller's biography. I hope you enjoy this *dip into my imagination.
God Answers Prayer
Phillip turned the corner at Ashley Down in Bristol, England and for just a moment, he was overcome with emotion. For eight years of his life, Phillip had called this Orphan House his home. He was just about to knock on the door when it was opened by Miss Agnes. She had been a housekeeper in the home when Phillip had lived there.
“Oh, pardon me - why land sakes, is that you Phillip?” Phillip grinned as Miss Agnes greeted him. “Come tell me how you have been.”
Phillip happily entered the Orphan House. “I’ve come with a letter for Mr. Müller,” he said, and pulled the envelope from his coat pocket.
Miss Agnes glanced at the letter and said, “Mr. Müller is not here today. He’s meeting with the builders. They are working on Orphan House Five now.”
Phillip shook his head in amazement. “Five Orphan houses! How great is our God!”
Miss Agnes agreed. “Only God could do this, Phillip. We can now care for more than 2,000 orphans.” She led him down a hallway toward the office. “As I said, Mr. Müller is not here, but Mrs. Müller is. She may be able to help you.” She knocked softly on the door and entered.
Miss Agnes did not have to introduce Phillip. As soon as Mrs. Müller saw him, she recognized him and rose to greet him. “Why Phillip, how good it is to see you. You look very well.”
“Thank you ma’am,” Phillip replied. “I’m so honored to see you. I have a letter for Mr. Müller.” He handed her the letter as she ushered him into the office. He noticed a little boy sitting in a chair by the desk.
“Phillip, this is Arthur. He is going to be living with us now. Today is his first day.”
Phillip remembered his first day and his heart went out to the young boy. He knelt down beside him and said, “How old are you, Arthur?”
The boy shyly replied, “Six.”
“Six years old! Why, that’s how old I was when I came to live here,” Phillip exclaimed. He noted that Arthur’s eyes lit up in surprise.
“You lived here?” the boy asked.
“I did,” Phillip replied. “I lived here for eight years, most of that time in this very house.”
Phillip was still kneeling next to Arthur when Mrs. Müller spoke, “Phillip, I think it would be wonderful for you to show Arthur around the Orphan House. Do you have time today?”
Phillip could not refuse Mrs. Müller who had always been so kind to him. He offered his hand to Arthur, and they left the office. Phillip led them to the rear of the building. “I’m going to show you my favorite place,” he told Arthur. They walked outside to the garden. Phillip said. “I loved working out here. I loved digging in the soil and planting the seeds. Whenever the first little green sprouts would start to grow, I would get so excited. I knew that God would provide all of our needs.”
Arthur did not seem impressed, but he never spoke. Phillip sat down on a little bench and motioned for Arthur to join him. “Would you like to hear about my first day here?” When Arthur nodded, Phillip began his story.
“My parents were very poor and we lived in a poor house. Some of the people who lived there were very wicked. After my father died, my mother was afraid some of the bad people would force me to steal for them. So, the night that she died, my mother told me to runaway with my little sister and come see Mr. George Müller. She was sure he would take care of us. She gave me all the money she had which was only a halfpenny, and she told me to give it to Mr. Müller. My little sister was also sick, but she didn’t cry or make any noise when we left that night.”
Phillip could see that Arthur was really listening now, so he finished his story. “I walked all night long to get here. Early that morning, I knocked on the door and Mr. Müller answered. I handed him the money and told him our story. He took my little sister to the infirmary on the top floor and then he showed me to the dormitory where I would sleep. I was so tired that first day. All I wanted to do was sleep. But Mr. Müller made me get a bath and gave me some new clothes first. I met some of the other boys and one of them showed me the school. Then, we all marched down to the dining room for breakfast. Do you know what was for breakfast that day?” Phillip asked Arthur.
“No, what?” the boy asked with real interest.
“Nothing.”
Arthur wrinkled his nose. “What do you mean, nothing?”
Phillip laughed. “I mean exactly that. We all got to the table. It was set with our plates and cups, but there was no food. And then Mr. Müller told us that the food was all gone and he had no money to buy any more. But then he prayed and thanked God for the food He would provide for us that day. And do you know what happened next, Arthur?”
Again, the boy shook his head. “Right at that moment, there was a knock on the door. A baker from town told Mr. Müller that he couldn’t sleep because he felt like the Lord wanted him to bake bread for the orphans. So, he got up in the middle of the night and baked enough bread for everyone. Mr. Müller had just thanked the baker when someone else knocked on the door. This time, it was the milkman. He told Mr. Müller that his milk cart had broken down right in front of the orphan house. He needed to empty his cart so he could repair it. He gave us all of his milk that day.”
Arthur was so surprised. “How did Mr. Müller know that the food would come?”
“Ah, Arthur, that is a great question. Mr. Müller didn’t know how the food would come, but he knew God would provide. God had always provided every single need for the orphans. Mr. Müller prayed and trusted that God would answer his prayer.”
“Arthur, while you live here at this orphan house I can promise you two things. First, you will always be well cared for. You will have a safe place to sleep. You will have food and clothing. You will get to go to school and learn how to make a good living someday. But second and more important, you will learn about Jesus. He loves you so much. One day, shortly after my first memorable meal, Mr. Müller taught us about the Last Supper that Jesus had on earth. Just before Jesus was about to die, He called His followers to join Him for a last supper. He told them He was about to die. But He told them not to worry because He reminded them that He had come to earth for that very reason. He came to die for our sins.”
Arthur just stared at Phillip. “I can see you don’t understand yet, Arthur. But you will hear all about Jesus while you are here. I want you to listen to what they teach you. I did. And the day Mr. Müller told about Jesus coming to earth to die for me, I finally understood. I gave my life to Jesus. He has been so good to me. When I was fourteen, Mr. Müller helped me become an apprentice at a counting house. I learned how to become a clerk and today, my company has made me a partner in their firm. That is what I came to tell Mr. Müller today. I have been able to give my first gift to the Orphan House. Because Mr. Müller took care of me when I had no one else, I not only have a good job, I have something so much more valuable. I know Jesus as my Savior. He is now my guide through all the difficulties I will ever face. Mr. Müller taught me how to live by faith. And, Arthur, that is more important than the education, food, clothing, and comfort that everyone here will give you.”
George Müller
George Müller always prayed that God would lay it upon people’s heart to give to God’s work. Reading about the ways God provided for him made me evaluate and search my own heart. I want to be sensitive to the Lord's leading in my life and like Muller said, "have my soul be happy in the Lord each day.
During his lifetime, Müller cared for 10,000 orphans, established 117 schools, and provided Christian education to 120,000 children.
When he was 70 years old, George Müller travelled the world telling others of Jesus and trying to strengthen their faith. He traveled to 42 countries including the United States, India, Australia, China, and Japan.
George Müller always prayed that God would lay it upon people’s heart to give to God’s work. Reading about the ways God provided for him made me evaluate and search my own heart. I want to be sensitive to the Lord's leading in my life and like Müller said, "have my soul be happy in the Lord each day."
“My business is, with all my might to serve my own generation; in doing so I shall best serve the next generation, should the Lord Jesus tarry... The longer I live, the more I am enabled to realize that I have but one life to live on earth, and that this one life is but a brief life, for sowing, in comparison with eternity, for reaping. - George Müller
I hope this little story can inspire the same in you.
Also, if you'd like to check out more missionary stories, one of our personal family favorite series is from YWAM (Youth With a Mission) Publishing. Click on image below to check out some of their great resources.
*The above excerpt is from my book All Nations which is a companion book for the Illuminate homeschool curriculum published by Union Gospel Press. It's release date has not yet been set, but stay tuned! I'll be sure and let you know when it is available.
Disclosure: Bear in mind that some of the links in this post are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase I will earn a commission. Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you. Please read full disclosure here.
PS: If you haven't checked out my little curiosity shop lately check out some of our bestsellers below.
Comments