Scripture:
James 2:14-18
Reflection:
Following the dissolution of the monasteries in 1536-40, there was very little assistance given to the poor, and by the 1800’s, there was a particular problem with homeless children.
George Muller was born and raised in Prussia, and though he attended church, he had no real faith. His behaviour was dishonest - he even spent three weeks in prison for fraud.
He eventually went to Halle University to train to become a pastor, and one evening during a Bible study, he was convicted by the Spirit, turned away from his sinful behaviour and ‘stood on the side of Christ’.
He then came to England in 1829 to train as a missionary to the Jews, but instead became pastor of Ebenezer Chapel in Teignmouth Devon. Shortly after his marriage to Mary Groves, they decided not to draw a stipend, and to depend on God for their needs. They told no-one but brought their requests only to God.
Following a preaching engagement in Bristol, the Mullers felt led to move there and did so in 1832, where they became part of the ministry of Bethesda Chapel, a Brethren congregation. They saw a huge increase in membership in the first year. Muller also began a ministry to promote the spread of the gospel through education, literature and missionary work.
Even when living in Teignmouth, Muller had been aware of the number of ‘ragged children’ in the streets, and a cholera epidemic in 1832 made the situation even worse. So he began to pray for premises and £1,000 (the equivalent of £113,000 today) and planned for an orphanage with the right people to care for the children. He laid his plans before the congregation in 1835, without making any appeal for money. By the following April, the first home opened for thirty girls. A second home for infants was opened in the November, and a third for boys in the following September.
At first, ample money was given to run the homes, but as time went on, the finances were often at a critical level. One morning, when there was no food in the larder or money to buy it, George Muller prayed the grace at the empty breakfast table: ‘Dear Father, we thank thee for what thou art going to give us to eat’. As he finished, a baker arrived with fresh bread, saying the Lord had told him in the night that they were in need of it. Then the milkman arrived, asking them to take his milk as his cart had broken and he needed to lighten the load and repair it!
Though life was simple and frugal in the homes, the 130 children never went without, and enjoyed a better and more secure life than many other children of their day. When they left the homes, they were usually given work by Christian people who could ‘keep an eye on them’.
In 1845, following a complaint from local residents, the Mullers decided to move the homes out of the city and started to pray for £10,000 (£1.2m today). God answered their prayers and they purchased land at Ashley Down where a home was built and opened in 1849. By 1870 there were 5 large homes, with schools, caring for over 2,000 children.
Muller was always scrupulous in his financial affairs, recording and declaring everything received. It was all achieved with much prayer, both by himself and his wife.
At the age of 70, having handed over the running of the homes, Muller embarked on travelling and preaching the gospel overseas.
In 1870, Muller wrote in his diary: ‘God who raised up this work through me; God who has led me generally year after year to enlarge it; God who has supported this work now for more than forty years, will still help, and will not suffer me to be confounded, because I rely on him’.
Mullers conviction was that Christians are to show their faith by their works, and his faith inspired others following him to open homes for orphaned children – among them, Dr. Barnado, James Fegan, C. H. Spurgeon, and William Quarrier in Scotland.
Prayer:
We thank you, Lord, for the inspiration of George Muller’s faith. His trust in you to provide challenges us in our affluent society.
Cause us to trust you more with our possessions, our finances, and our very lives.
AMEN
Songs:
Faithful One – Brian Doerkson
Trust and Obey – sung by Don Moen
Food for Thought:
James 2:18: ‘…someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.’
Is your faith seen by your behaviour and works?