Believe

It was only 4:30 in the morning when I came face-to-face with inspiration. You know what I’m talking about? Every day, I go through the same routine. Up early, a cup of coffee, a few devotionals, some time in the Word, and prayer. Wash, rinse, repeat. Only on this particular morning, the Lord had something fresh for me. Honestly, I’m sure He has something fresh for me every morning, but my finite, little mind doesn’t always connect as it should.

It’s not that I hadn’t read this devotional before—it’s a daily devotional, so every August 17^th is the same. To be fair, this is only my second year through Streams in the Desert by L.B. Cowman, and I remember reading this particular passage last year. Because it stayed with me, I know it had some impact. The words hadn’t changed one iota over the last 365 days. I had. I must’ve, because this time it was like the hand of God took hold of my heart and shook it.

Look at it. Meditate on it. Understand that it’s meant for you here and now!

The passage was about a man named George Müller. Have you heard of him? I had, but I needed a reminder of his depth of faith so I could know I haven’t yet even tapped into mine. It recounted a story told by a sea captain—a devoted Christian—who once traveled with Mr. Müller. The fog off the coast of Newfoundland was profoundly thick, and the captain needed to slow down his vessel for the safety of his passengers.

Mr. Müller went to the captain and told him that he had a very important appointment that Saturday, and he must not miss it. When the captain told him it was impossible, Mr. Müller replied, “Very well, if your ship cannot take me, God will find some other way. I have never broken an engagement for fifty-seven years. Let’s go down to the chart room and pray.”

The sea captain thought this man was a lunatic and reminded him that the fog made it impossible. Müller replied, “my eye is not on the density of the fog, but on the living God, who controls every circumstance of my life.” He then knelt and muttered a simple prayer. When finished, the captain began to kneel, but Mr. Müller stopped him. “First, you do not believe He will answer; and second, I believe He has.” When they opened the door, the fog had lifted. Mr. Müller made his appointment in Quebec on time. And that is when the sea captain became the devoted Christian who later shared this story.

It’s not often that I will interrupt Chris when he’s reading his Bible, but I was moved to this day. “Do you know who George Müller is?”

“I’ve heard of him, but I can’t remember the details. Isn’t he the one we’ve heard about who fed the orphans by praying for food?”

One of the nice things about technology is that we have a wealth of information literally at our fingertips. I picked up my phone and Googled George Müller. I’d read about him before, but it wasn’t until this particular day that such profound respect and awe for him struck me. This man was at one time a drinker, a gambler, and a thief. Then he got saved (that’s a story in itself). In 1836, he and his wife opened up their home in Bristol, England and started what eventually became five separate orphanages that housed over 1700 children at any given time.

The cost to build these orphanages was more than £100,000, yet he never went into debt or asked for donations. Instead, he prayed. Every day. He prayed with faith that the Lord would answer with a yes. He prayed that people would be led to donate without being asked. And they did.

His faith was so great, it is said that he sat the children down for breakfast one morning when they had no food. When they finished praying, a baker showed up with enough fresh baked bread to feed them all and the milkman’s cart broke down outside the orphanage, giving them plenty of fresh milk.

In his lifetime, George Müller helped more than 10,000 orphans. When they left his care, they were given a Bible and a future. He found apprenticeships, professional training, and domestic positions for them, so they were able to care for themselves.

There is so much more to Mr. Müller than I’ve shared in this short post. If you need a little inspiration, Google him. You won’t be disappointed. The work the Lord wishes to do with the lives of his children is so astounding, it’s truly difficult to grasp. But what if we could? What if we weren’t held back by doubt, fear, and our sinful human nature?

Ephesians 2:4-6 says But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus…

We have the same power that raised Christ from the dead at our disposal if we only believe! Because George Müller believed that the Lord would answer his prayers, he was able to do the most extraordinary work to the glory of God. Do you ever wonder what you could accomplish for Him who gave you life? If you trusted enough in the power of prayer that you’d figuratively walk out on a limb knowing God is there to receive you.

I do. When I think about the early apostles and how they laid their lives down for the Gospel Message, it shames me. So, I’m going to pray like George Müller prayed, and I hope with all my heart you’ll join me. Let’s ask the Lord to use us to our absolute potential and then believe that He will.

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