Skip to main content

Sitting Down To Dinner


Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (Mark 21:21-22) 

Have you ever heard of George Muller of Bristol, England? Back in the 1800s, he believed he was being led to start an orphanage. The Ashley Down Orphanage cared for 10,024 children over the years. He started 117 schools which provided educations for more than 120,000 children. All of it was done by prayer. His policy was that he never asked anyone but God for anything. No fundraising. No awareness campaigns. Nothing but prayer. He wrote of times when the residents of the orphanage would sit down for dinner with no food available. As they said grace, a cart would arrive with what was needed. That’s just one example. Read his autobiography (The Autobiography of George Muller.)
     God doesn’t call everyone to sit down to dinner with nothing to eat, but He does call everyone to trust Him. Sometimes I wait. Friends have suggested for years that I should move somewhere with better job prospects, but God has provided jobs and support where I am. They might not be the way I want to do things, but God has provided. What would happen if I found ways to trust Him more?
     Two areas come to mind immediately: my father and my story. I’m not sure how to trust more with regard to my father. That’s probably a moment by moment thing. I know that once the story is ready, I’ll have to find an agent and/or send it to publishers, packaged appropriately. Nothing seems to paralyze me faster than having to sell myself or my writing to someone – to convince them to hire me or to buy some extension of myself. Mr. Muller expected his prayers to be answered because he believed that God gave him his work. What work has He given you?
     Heavenly Father, I confess that I am afraid to trust you the way Mr. Muller did. Help me learn to ask as he asked and to trust as he trusted.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen!

  While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)            Do you like roller coasters? I don't. You spend forever climbing a hill. You get to the top and have half a second, then you race down to a low point. Sometimes the racing down involves tying your insides into knots. At the bottom, you either have to be dragged up another hill or you get off the ride. Peter's life was a roller coaster from the time he met Jesus. There would be miracles, and then Jesus would teach things that didn't always make sense, and then they'd go out and perform miracles, and return to be taught. Peter was praised for giving the right answer to "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus said that said answer came from God. Peter was at the top of the hill.            ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Prayer Lists

                 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (I Peter 2:2-3)   In connection with what I wrote yesterday about the possibility that I’m wrong, I’m feeling the need to go back to basics - craving spiritual milk because somehow, I missed something. It’s a little embarrassing, craving milk like a newborn, but the truth probably is that we are newborns many times in many ways in our lives. From God’s perspective, we may never be anything more than newborns, forever needing that milk. On the other hand, being a newborn can also be exciting because so much is new. My mind is playing pinball - ricocheting from one idea to the next and through six more before it happens to hit the third again. The main topic is prayer. I have at least seven organizing structures all somewhat influenced by the movie War Room , which I’v...
Post a Comment
Read more