WOULD YOU LIKE TO HEAR FROM GOD? Part IV - George Mueller
In the first segment of this post, HERE we saw that God wants to be ‘in touch with us; and how important it is to have ears to hear the Lord and God the Father; but how the false gospels of the Church, can and will keep a Christian from hearing from God.
In Part II, we saw how George Washington Carver single handedly transformed the economically devastated Southern USA, by mulitiplying their harvest potential by 50,000%, all by listening to God. We also learned how, Carver was the opposite of a mammon loving Christian- torn in their loyalties. Like the prophets of old, Carver eschewed wealth - turning down vast sums - counting obedience to his beloved Lord worth all the money and glory to be found on earth. HERE.
In Part III, I posted the ‘high cost of hearing from God’, a little-considered detail of what the desire to hear from God Almighty entails.. HERE.
Now, in Part IV, we will learn about one more exceptional saint, who was led by the Lord to build 3 orphanages in Bristol England, to where he was housing, educating, feeding and clothing as many as 2,000 children at any one time.. which children never once went without their meals.. a man who also paid for the printing of Bibles and tracts - giving away more than 250,000 Bibles in his lifetime; and paying the tuition for hundreds of children to go to school. During his lifetime, this incredible man of God, George Muller, raised the equivalent of $129,000,000 which he gave away!.. having secured provision for all these things by answers to prayer!
How God respected Muller’s prayers is the subject of many books.
And, just like George Washington Carver, George Muller’s secret to close fellowship with God, came with a price - which is our subject tonight:
What follows was written by George Mueller himself. In his message, Mueller communicates what he believes was his secret to close fellowship with the Lord. Mueller shared at another time, that the secret to his spiritual success for so many years, was in dying to self, and living to the will of God. That sharing is found in the tremendous biography of his life entitled - ‘George Mueller of Bristol’, by Albert Pierce, a book that I am thrilled to have an original -100 year old copy- of, that the Lord gifted me with in the 1980’s - having led me into an old used bookstore at 83rd Street & Broadway in Manhattan. The bookstore is long gone, but the book and its amazing lessons from this legendary man of God, endures.1
Now - George Mueller’s secret to hearing from God:
Rising Early with George Mueller
Author: George Muller
I want to encourage all believers to get into the habit of rising early to meet with God. How much time should be allowed for rest? No rule of universal application can be given because all persons do not require the same amount of sleep. Also the same persons, at different times, according to the strength or weakness of their body, may require more or less. Most doctors agree that healthy men do not require more than between six or seven hours of sleep, and females need no more than seven or eight hours.
Children of God should be careful not to allow themselves too little sleep since few men can do with less than six hours of sleep and still be well in body and mind. As a young man, before I went to the university, I went to bed regularly at ten and rose at four, studied hard, and was in good health. Since I have allowed myself only about seven hours, I have been much better in body and in nerves than when I spent eight or eight and a half hours in bed.
Someone may ask, “But why should I rise early?” To remain too long in bed is a waste of time. Wasting time is unbecoming a saint who is bought by the precious blood of Jesus. His time and all he has is to be used for the Lord. If we sleep more than is necessary for the refreshment of the body, it is wasting the time the Lord has entrusted us to be used for His glory, for our own benefit, and for the benefit of the saints and unbelievers around us.
Just as too much food injures the body, the same is true regarding sleep. Medical persons would readily agree that lying longer in bed than is necessary to strengthen the body actually weakens it.
It also injures the soul. Lying too long in bed not merely keeps us from giving the most precious part of the day to prayer and meditation, but this sloth leads also to many other evils. Anyone who spends one, two, or three hours in prayer and meditation before breakfast will soon discover the beneficial effect early rising has on the outward and inward man.
It may be said, “But how shall I set about rising early?” My advice is: Do not delay. Begin tomorrow. But do not depend on your own strength. You may have begun to rise early in the past but have given it up. If you depend on your own strength in this matter, it will come to nothing. In every good work, we must depend on the Lord. If anyone rises so that he may give the time which he takes from sleep to prayer and meditation, let him be sure that Satan will try to put obstacles in the way.
Trust in the Lord for help. You will honor Him if you expect help from Him in this matter. Pray for help, expect help, and you will have it. In addition to this, go to bed early. If you stay up late, you cannot rise early. Let no pressure of engagements keep you from going habitually early to bed. If you fail in this, you neither can nor should get up early because your body requires rest.
Rise at once when you are awake. Remain not a minute longer in bed or else you are likely to fall asleep again. Do not be discouraged by feeling drowsy and tired from rising early. This will soon wear off. After a few days you will feel stronger and fresher than when you used to lie an hour or two longer than you needed. Always allow yourself the same hours for sleep. Make no change except on account of sickness. (Autobiography, 117-119.)