C o far as I remember, I brought * even the most minute circum stances concerning the orphan-house before the Lord in my petitions, being conscious of my own weak ness and ignorance. There was, however, one point I never had prayed about, namely that the Lord would send children, for I naturally took it for granted that there would be plenty of appli cations. The nearer, however, the day came which had been appointed for receiving applications, the more I had a secret consciousness that the Lord might disappoint my natural expectations and show me that I could not prosper in one single thing without Him. The appointed time came and not even one application was made. I had before this been repeatedly tried whether I might not, after all, have engaged in the work against the Lord’s mind. This circumstance now led me to lie low before my God in prayer the whole of the evening, February 3, and to ex amine my heart once more as to all the motives concerning it, and being able, as formerly, to say that His glory was my chief aim, i.e., that it might be seen that it is not a vain thing to trust in the living God, and that my second aim was the spiritual welfare of the orphan children, and the third their bodily welfare; and still continuing in prayer, I was at last brought to this state, that I could say from my heart that I should rejoice in God being glorified in this matter though it were by bringing the whole to nothing. But as still, after all, it seemed to me more tending to the glory of God to establish and prosper the orphan-house, I could then ask Him heartily to send applications. I enjoyed now a peaceful state of heart concerning the subject and was also more assured than ever that God would establish it. The very next day, February 4, the first application was made and since then 42 more have been made. Just For Today Later on when there were nearly 100 persons to be maintained and the funds were reduced to about £20 I walked in our little garden medi tating on Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus
From the Journal o f George Muller
My Orphans
PRAYER &
the prospect of being able to take in bread. When I left the brethren and sisters at one o’clock after prayer, I told them that we must wait for help and see how the Lord would deliver us this time. I was sure of help but we were indeed straitened. When I came to Kingsdown, I felt that I needed more exercise, being very cold; wherefore I went not the nearest way home but round by Clarence Place. About 20 yards from my house, I met a brother who walked back with me, and after a little conversation gave me £10 to be handed over to the brethren, the deacons, towards providing the poor saints with coal, blankets and warm clothing; also £5 for the orphans and £5 for the other objects of the S c r i p t u r a l Knowledge Society. The brother had called twice while I was gone to the orphan-houses, and had I now been one half min ute later, I should have missed him. But the Lord knew our need and therefore allowed me to meet him. I sent off the £5 immediately to the matrons. Thus the Lord, to show His con tinued care over us, raises up new helpers. They that trust in the Lord shall never be confounded! Some who helped for a while may fall asleep in Jesus. Others may grow cold in the service of the Lord. Others may be as desirous as ever to help but have no longer the means. Others may have both a willing heart to help and have also the means but may see it the Lord’s will to lay them out in another way; and thus from one cause or another, were we to lean upon man, we should surely be confounded; but in leaning upon the living God alone, we are beyond disappoint ment and beyond being forsaken because of death or want of means
Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.” Whilst medi tating on His unchangeable love, power, wisdom and turning all, as I went on, into prayer respecting myself and whilst applying likewise His unchangeable love and power and wisdom both to my present spiritual and temporal circum stances, all at once the present need of the orphan-house was brought to my mind. Immediately I was led to say to myself, Jesus in His love and power has hitherto supplied me with what I have needed for the orphans, and in the same unchangeable love and power He will provide me with what I may need for the future. A flow of joy came into my soul while realizing thus the unchange ableness of our adorable Lord. About one minute after, a letter was brought me, enclosing a bill for £20. In it was written: “Will you apply the amount of the en closed bill to the furtherance of the objects of your Scriptural Knowl edge Society or of your orphan establishment or in the work and cause of our Master in any way that He Himself, on your application to Him, may point out to you. It is not a great sum but it is a sufficient provision for the exigency of today, and it is for today’s exigencies that ordinarily the Lord provides. To morrow, as it brings its demands, will find its supply.” Waiting For Help November 21, 1838 — Never were we so reduced in funds as today. There was not a single half penny in hand between the matrons of the three houses. Nevertheless there was a good dinner, and by managing so as to help one another with bread, etc., there was a pros pect of getting over this day also; but for none of the houses had we
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