George Müller

“ The disciples of the Lord Jesus should labour with all their might in the work of God, as if everything depended upon their own exertions; and yet, having done so, they should not in the least trust in their labour and efforts, and in the means which they use for the spread of the truth, but in God; and they should with all earnestness seek the blessing of God, in persevering, patient, and believing prayer. Here is the great secret of success, my Christian Reader. Work with all your might; but trust not in the least in your work. Pray with all your might for the blessing of God ”

“ I knew it to be a fact, that many brethren, who preach the Word, without having any salary for doing so, or property to live upon, were in need. Now it might be said that such brethren ought to trust in God; that, if they preach Jesus as the only hope for the salvation of sinners, they ought to set them a good example by trusting themselves in God for the supply of their temporal necessities, in order that unconverted persons thereby might be led to trust in the Lord Jesus alone for the salvation of their souls. ”

“ Now, as we have no funds to live upon; as we have no regular subscribers or donors upon whom we could depend; as we never ask help from man but God alone; and as, finally, we never did go into debt for this work, nor do we now: why is it not now a work of faith as formerly? Will those, who say it is not, place themselves in my position, when, at the close of the year 1852, I had not two pounds left, and about 330 persons were day by day to be provided for, with all they need, and prove whether it is now anything else than a work of faith? ”

“ Is it not like "tempting God," to think of building another Orphan-House for seven hundred more orphans? Answer: "Tempting God" means, according to the Holy Scriptures, to limit Him in any of His attributes by His grace I do not wish to limit His power or His willingness, to give to me, His poor servant, simply in answer to prayer, all the means, and every other help and blessing which I shall need to build another large Orphan-House.
5. You will not get the means for building and fitting up so large an Orphan-House ”

“ One of the greatest qualifications for usefulness in the service of the Lord is a heart, truly desirous of getting honour for Him. 2, Precede all your labours with earnest, diligent prayer; go to them in a prayerful spirit; and follow them by prayer. Do not rest on the number of Tracts you have given. A million of Tracts may not be the means of converting one single soul; and yet how great, beyond calculation, may be the blessing which results from one single Tract. Thus it is also with regard to the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, and the ministry of the Word itself. ”

“ It is not at all a rare thing that I meet with respectable young women, or respectable young men, who, many years ago, were placed, as very destitute Orphans, under my care, and who are now a comfort and help to society, instead of being a pest, which otherwise they might have been. But valuable and pleasant as this is, I frequently meet with far more in them: I find them to be children of the living God, through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and see or hear that they walk according to their profession. ”

“ But even if I were not to speak at all, my very presence would do good, with God's blessing, as they would see that I am desirous of being united with all who love our Lord Jesus; and I cannot but hope that thus prejudices will wear away, they will come to our meetings, and read my book. The Continent is not like England. Every particle of progress one is able to make here, is highly to be prized. ”

“ The particular end, why I have been so minute, is to show that the work is now, as much as ever, a work carried on entirely in dependence upon the Living God, who alone is our hope, and to whom alone we look for help, and who never has forsaken us in the hour of need. ”

“ Through faith in the Lord Jesus alone can we obtain forgiveness of our sins, and be at peace with God; but, believing in Jesus, we become, through this very faith, the children of God; have God as our Father, and may come to Him for all the temporal and spiritual blessings which we need. ”

“ I the more need also to my own soul this last of all the proofs that I have not been mistaken, in order to have unquestionable assurance that, whatever trials hereafter may be allowed to befall me in connexion with this work, I did not at my own bidding and according to my own natural desire undertake it, but that it was under the guidance of God. The greatness of the sum required affords me a kind of secret joy; for the greater the difficulty to be overcome, the more will it be seen to the glory of God, how much can be done by prayer and faith ”

“ For many months past the necessities of the poor saints among us have been particularly laid upon my heart. The word of our Lord: "Ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good," has again and again stirred me up to prayer on their behalf, and thus it was again in particular this morning. It was the coldest morning we have had the whole winter. In my morning walk for prayer and meditation I thought how well I was supplied with coals, nourishing food, and warm clothing, and how many of the dear children of God might be in need ”

“ We desire to be truly thankful to the Lord, for having intrusted us with means, and given us open doors, for the circulation of so many copies of the Holy Scriptures, and so many thousands of Tracts; and for having enabled us to assist again to such an extent preachers of the unsearchable riches of Christ; but we do not rest in this. Our trust was in the Lord for His blessing upon our efforts. ”

“ This money is quite sure; may I not, therefore, on the strength of it, take some from the Building Fund, and when the legacy is paid, replace the money which I have taken? I know that many would act thus. But how does it work, when we thus anticipate God, by going our own way? We bring, in many instances, guilt on our conscience; but if not, we certainly weaken faith, instead of increasing it; and each time we work thus a deliverance of our own, we find it more and more difficult to trust in God, till at last we give way entirely to our natural fallen reason, and unbelief prevails. ”

“ Suitable age, health, gift, experience, love for children, true godliness, a ready mind to serve God in the work and not themselves, a ready mind to bear with the many trials and difficulties connected with it, a manifest purpose to labour not for the sake of the remuneration, but to serve God in their work; surely, to obtain Godly persons, in whom these qualifications, even in some measure, are found combined, is not an easy matter. Not that any one will suppose me to mean that I am looking out for perfect fellow-labourers. ”

“ When we were thus once more quite poor, I received today from a Christian gentleman at Edinburgh, whom God has repeatedly used to help us in times of need, a bank-order for 35l. Of this amount 5l. had been given to him by a lady for the Orphans, 25l. were from himself for the Orphans, and 5l. he kindly intended for my own personal necessities. Oh, how precious thus continually to see the hand of God stretched out on our behalf! Will you not, dear reader, taste and see that the Lord is good, and that it is a blessed thing to put our trust in Him? ”

“ Thus we have the joy of seeing very delicate and sickly little children grow up and become healthy young men and women, whilst otherwise, humanly speaking, they might never have been reared, or, at all events have been sickly all their lives for want of a healthy place of abode, of cleanliness, or a sufficient quantity of wholesome and nourishing food. But especially we have in this way the great joy of seeing many of these Orphans brought to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus, through the blessing which God grants to our training them up in His fear from their earliest days. ”

“ See how faith and prayer bring means from individuals whom we have never seen, whose very names we have never heard of, and who live at a distance of more than Ten Thousand miles from us. Do you not see that it is not in vain, to make known our requests to the Lord, and to come to Him for everything? When it was first laid on my heart, to build a second Orphan-House for 700 destitute children, bereaved of both parents by death, simply in dependence upon God alone for means, could I have looked for this 70l. from this Christian brother at Madras? ”

“ Since then I have again received many considerable donations, besides thousands of pounds in smaller sums. And now the largest donation of 3,000l., was surpassed by the one of 8,100l. Have I then been boasting in God in vain? Is it not manifest that it is most precious, in every way, to depend upon God? Do I serve God for nought? Is it not obvious that the principles on which I labour, are not only applicable to the work of God on a small scale, but also, as I have so many times affirmed during the past nineteen years, for the most extensive operations for God? ”

“ And now the very work even with which I am connected, respecting which I had every reason to believe, when I commenced it, that it would be connected with great expenses to myself, as well as be the means, looked at naturally, of decreasing my own income, God has, though unsought for on my part, used as the instrument to bring along with it many supplies for myself also, thus not only abundantly meeting my increased expenses, but giving me far more than I need for myself. ”

“ I desire that you may taste the sweetness of that state of heart, in which, while surrounded by difficulties and necessities, you can yet be at peace, because you know that the living God, your Father in heaven, cares for you. ”

“ For about three months my faith and patience have been exceedingly tried about the field, which I have purchased for the building of the Orphan-House, as the greatest difficulties arose about my possessing the land after all; but, by God's grace, my heart was kept in peace, being fully assured, that, if the Lord were to take this piece of land from me, it would be only for the purpose of giving me a still better one; for our Heavenly Father never takes any earthly thing from His children except He means to give them something better instead. ”

“ 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. Soon He may come again but, if He tarry, and I have to fall asleep before His return, I shall not have been altogether without profit to the generation to come, were the Lord only to enable me to serve my own generation. ”

“ Yesterday evening I met at our usual weekly prayer meeting with all the labourers in the Schools and Orphan-Houses, to seek the Lord's blessing upon the work, and upon the children under our care in particular. Among other points the state of the funds also was a subject for prayer, on account of the great need in every way. For we need money for the schools, as I shall not be able next week to pay to the teachers in the Day Schools their usual weekly salary, except means should come in for them. The stock of tracts and Bibles is also becoming very small. ”

“ When there have been infectious diseases in the Orphan-Houses, whereby, looking at it naturally, many children might be taken away through death, my soul is at peace, because I cast this burden upon the Lord, and He sustains me. ”

“ Applications for the admission of Orphans continue to be made. Within the last ten days eighteen poor children, bereaved of both parents, have been applied for; and since Aug. 15th, therefore in twenty-six days, thirty-two altogether. My heart longs to be allowed of God to help poor Orphans more extensively than ever. Whence the means are to come for the building of this house for 700 Orphans, I know not; but still, by God's help, my confidence in Him is not shaken. To Him it is a very small matter to give me all I need for this work. ”

“ That word, "godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come" (1 Tim. iv. 8) , I have in times almost without number found to be true in my own experience. Further, when one or the other of the labourers needed to leave the work on account of health, or for other reasons, I have been at such times in far greater "need" than when I required money for the various objects of the Institution. I could only have such "need" supplied by waiting upon God. ”

“ When at last help comes, after many seasons of prayer it may be, and after much exercise of faith and patience it may be, how sweet it is, and what a present recompense does the soul at once receive for trusting in God, and waiting patiently for His deliverance! ”

“ Behold how cheap a way; for it involves none of the heavy expenses, usually attendant on the collection of contributions; for all I do is, to make known the work in which we are engaged, by means of the Reports, which are for the most part sold for the benefit of the Orphans, and they actually brought in during this year, as the audited accounts show, a little more than they cost.
But, perhaps, you say, Yes, it is just these Reports, why there is nothing at all remarkable in the matter. Our reply is: We do not pretend to miracles. ”