Radical Faith - Take God At His Word

Be assured, if you walk with Him and look to Him, and expect help from Him, He will never fail you. George Mueller

I have always been fascinated by the life and ministry of George Mueller, which bears testimony to his radical faith in God. George Mueller was born in Germany in 1805 and moved to England in 1829. While in England, he became deeply concerned about the lot of the tens of thousands of orphans who either roamed the streets of England begging or were placed in a workhouse. He started praying about what He could do to alleviate the suffering of these orphans. God opened a way for him to establish his first orphanage in Bristol. He ended up building five orphanages and caring for over ten thousand orphans in his lifetime. This is, of course, in and of itself amazing. But what I find inspiring is how God provided for the orphanages' needs. Mueller never solicited individuals, businesses or organisations for money. He simply prayed for the needs at hand and trusted God to meet them. This is just one of the many extraordinary answers to prayer:

The children are dressed and ready for school. But there is no food for them to eat,” the housemother of the orphanage informed George Mueller. George asked her to take the 300 children into the dining room and have them sit at the tables. He thanked God for the food and waited. George knew God would provide food for the children as he always did. Within minutes, a baker knocked on the door. “Mr. Mueller,” he said, “last night I could not sleep. Somehow, I knew that you would need bread this morning. I got up and baked three batches for you. I will bring it in.”  Soon, there was another knock at the door. It was the milkman. His cart had broken down in front of the orphanage. The milk would spoil by the time the wheel was fixed. He asked George if he could use some free milk. George smiled as the milkman brought in ten large cans of milk. It was just enough for the 300 thirsty children. https://www.georgemuller.org/

The Grace of Faith

George Mueller believed in the “grace of faith.” He believed that when he prayed for his needs, they would be met because this is what the Word of God says. He emphasised the importance of taking God at His Word and trusting Him to do what He says He will do. Like George Mueller, we can take God at His Word. We can trust Him when He tells us not to be fearful and anxious about anything because our heavenly Father already knows our needs and will take care of us (Matthew 6:31-32). We can trust Him when we heed His command to seek His kingdom first (Matthew 6:33) through reading His Word and prayer. George Mueller  spent many hours a day in prayer and had read the Bible in its entirety nearly 200 times.

When we spend time reading the Word and in prayer, we will find there, just as George Mueller did, the God of more than enough (2 Corinthians 9:8). The God who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).

“Laying up treasures in heaven will draw the heart heavenward.” George Mueller

Reflection

Are you worried and anxious about your needs? Why not trust God at His Word as George Mueller did?

Prayer

Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for the promises in Your Word. Show me how to make a habit of reading Your word each day so that I can stand on Your Word. Help me to have that “grace of faith” so that I can take You at Your Word when You say that You will meet all my needs according to Your riches in glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.