George Mueller was deeply in love with his wife. Once he wrote:
“Were we happy? Verily we were. With every year our happiness increased more and more. I never saw my beloved wife at any time, when I met her unexpectedly anywhere in Bristol, without being delighted so to do. I never met her even in the Orphan Houses, without my heart being delighted so to do. Day by day, as we met in our dressing room, at the Orphan Houses, to wash our hands before dinner and tea, I was delighted to meet her, and she was equally pleased to seeme. Thousands of times I told her—“My darling, I never saw you at any time, since you became my wife, without my being delighted to see you.”
So when she was diagnosed with a terminal illness, it shook him to the core of his faith. And this is where we may catch a glimpse of Mueller’s rare and extraordinary faith and peace:
“The last portion of scripture which I read to my precious wife was this: “The Lord God is a sun and shield, the Lord will give grace and glory, no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” Now, if we have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, we have received grace, we are partakers of grace, and to all such he will give glory also. I said to myself, with regard to the latter part, “no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly”—I am in myself a poor worthless sinner, but I have been saved by the blood of Christ; and I do not live in sin, I walk uprightly before God. Therefore, if it is really good for me, my darling wife will be raised up again; sick as she is. God will restore her again. But if she is not restored again, then it would not be a good thing for me. And so my heart was at rest. I was satisfied with God. And all this springs, as I have often said before, from taking God at his word, believing what he says.”
14 comments
So. very. timely.
WOW!
Precious!
My grandfather is having major surgery this morning as I type this and my daughter just had a round of shots and has a fever from them. Needless to say, between the two things, I didn’t get much sleep last night. This was so refreshing to read this morning. Thank you very much for posting it. It was much needed.
I just love George Muller. The kids and I read a biography of his life this last year and we all were really moved by it. Of course, now my kids want us to take them to England so they can see what’s left of the Orphan Houses!
Beautiful, to live a life satisfied with God. Asking our heart’s desires because God instructs us to, but accepting what He gives because He is worthy of our trust!
“if it is really good for me, my darling wife will be raised up again; sick as she is. God will restore her again. But if she is not restored again, then it would not be a good thing for me. And so my heart was at rest. I was satisfied with God. And all this springs, as I have often said before, from taking God at his word, believing what he says.”
Although my own particular heartaches and trials have been very different than Mr. Mueller’s, I have learned precisely this same thing through them. If God chooses not to heal my marriage, I can still be at peace-I can be thankful. I can even be joyful! Because if all those things that I think I want were good for me, my Jesus would not withhold them from me. I love the song “You Know Better Than I”… http://tomatosoupcake.blogspot.com/2009/12/in-light-of-fact-that-today-is-my.html … it has become a sort of theme of my life over the years♥
Kelly, if you don’t mind I’ll share the last 8 days with you.
June 28 DD fell off a horse and landed on her head. I wasn’t even aware they were messing with the horses until DS came in shouting that she had fallen off the horse. Time slowed down to a crawl & I couldn’t get my shoe on my silly foot. (This same DD was born at 29 weeks, spent 49 days in NICU, had a shunt at 5 mos. and crainal surgery @ 2 & that’s a very brief synopsis.)
We got her in the house to see if she would just shake it off but she didn’t. I was way out in the country so about 1 hour later we show up the ER where DH had them prepared but there was a very long wait. God’s 1st known intervention was when the receptionist found out who we were and he just picked her up and walked us back into the ER. After the CT scan, while DD and I were getting x-rays, DH found out there was a small brain hemorrage. He told me, I almost went to peices but the Lord held me together with DH’s strong arms. 🙂
One short ambulance ride later, 12 minutes from Skyline to Vanderbilt’s Children’s Hospital, we’re at another ER. Quickest trip I’ve ever made during rush hour. DD thought it was great fun. I could have gone the rest of my life w/o it. One CT scan showed the bleed had doubled in size. By the time they got her in the operating room it had doubled again.
God’s miracles:
The first miracle – the child landed right on top of the shunt and it moved not a bit and since there hasn’t been any other excitement I’d say it’s still doing exactly what it was before the fall.
The bleed apparently didn’t grow much at all until He had her where He wanted her.
She didn’t break her neck nor was she paralyzed.
She experienced very little pain.
She went home the next day.
One week later she is back to normal, can’t read enough, ready to play with the puppies & in the creek when Mom says okay.
When I was carrying her I gave her up. She is God’s in a way in which my son is not ( for me ). I had to do it again with the shunt, the crainal and now this. God is in control and He has blessed me so greatly through her. There is no way to explain it.
We MUST give it up to HIM! The results are HIS. I will still love HIM and obey HIM no matter whether He takes her home or leaves her here in WHATEVER CAPACITY HE CHOOSES! God is so GOOD, so kind, so loving, so generous – I could go on & on. She is HIS, I am HIS. I will serve HIM and GLORIFY HIM with my dying breath. Oh, how I love HIM!
I see miracles every day, do you? Do you look for them? I hope you do. I hope you can say as Mueller did ” I am satisfied with God”. No matter what happens or doesn’t happen – I am satisfied with God, He is my all in all and He allows me all these little blessings that I call DD,DS,and DH. What a wonderful God I serve.
I’m very wordy, I’m sorry but I just can’t seem to help myself. 🙂
awesome testimony!!! Thanks for sharing! And yes, everyday, God astounds me with His miracles.
YES, exactly! Do we believe He’s truly good? Do we trust Him that Romans 8:28-29 is true? Can we say, like Job, “The LORD has given and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD”?
God has our good in mind, and He knows better than we do what “good” truly is. There is a way that seems right to a man, but it leads to death (Prov. 14:12). We can’t be trusted to know what is right or good apart from His loving guidance!
God bless!
Saved,
Boy what a week! Yes, I think we could see the hand of God much more clearly if we were looking a bit closer. Thankful for your daughter’s safety.
Thank God for His providence towards your daughter, Grace. I’ve seen His hand in similar, smaller ways, like answering my prayer to ease physical pain long enough for me to make it to the kitchen and take medicine for it. And the anxieties of mine that He cures! He’s amazing 🙂
Jennifer, I’m not trying to start anything here but I feel I must clarify something. There are no small miracles. In the life, in which they happen, they are big, huge even. I think it is kind of the like the one who is forgiven much, loves much (loose paraphrase).
If it is a need in your life and our Father responds it is huge. It is testimony of how deeply He loves us.
Isn’t it a privilege that we can both see the love of God in our lives as sinful as they are. Grace is an awesome thing in the life of the believer.
There I got out of bed to write that, maybe I can go to sleep now. Blessings and good night. 🙂
Hmmn. I’m a little disturbed that George Mueller’s concern was whether God was doing the best thing for HIM (George) by restoring or not restoring his wife. What about the best thing for his wife? If my spouse were dying, it would seem bizarre to be concerned for whether God were doing the best thing for me. What about the person who actually has to die?