Hopefully my sabbath time always includes these parts. I love to spend time with friends on Saturday night, enjoying the end of a week of labor. I also love the time after church on Sunday, to take shelter in my home and read or nap or phone call (or all three) or hang with my roommate and watch a movie.
Today I had some phone calls to make. I spoke with Jenn and am hoping to speak with Erin and Liz before the sabbath passes into study time (t minus one hour). While I was waiting to hear back from the latter two I was trying to read as much George Muller as possible. I love this book (George Muller of Bristol). I do. But its also taken me a long time to read it. It's deep. So today I read two chapters and then had to come up for some air and I thought I would share some brief excerpts with you. Enjoy:
From Ch. 16, regarding his marriage, his first wife and her passing:
"Mr. Muller's solemn conviction was that all this wedded bliss was due to the
fact that she was not only a devoted Christian, but that their one united object
was tot live one and wholly for God, in which thy were heartily united; that
this work was never allowed to interfere with the care of their own souls, or
their sessions of private prayer and study of the Scriptures; and that they were
wont daily, and often thrice a day, to secure a time of united prayer and praise
when they brought before the Lord the matters which at the time called for
thanksgiving and supplication." (p.235)"To her husband she had been a blessing beyond description, and to her daugther Lydia, at once a wise and tender mother and a sympathetic companion." (p. 238)
From Chapter 17, regarding his travels around the world preaching and making disciples of Jesus:
"God's real answers to prayer are often seeming denials. Beneath the
outward request He hears the voice of the inward desire, and He responds to
the mind of the Spirit rather than to the imperfect and perhaps mistaken
words in which the yearning seeks expression. Moreover, His infinite
wisdom sees that a larger blessing may be ours only by withholding of the
lesser good which we seek; and so all true prayer trusts Him to give His own
answer, not in our way or time, or even to our own expressed desire, but
rather to His own unutterable groaning within us which He can interpret
better than we." (p.245)
During his speaking engagements:
"He first urged that believers should never, even under the greatest
difficulties, be discouraged, and gave for his position sound scriptural
reasons. Then he pointed out to them that the chief business of every day
is first of all to seek to be truly at rest and happy in God. Then he
showed how, from the Word of God, all saved believers may know their true
standing in Christ, and how in circumstances of particular perplexity they might
ascertain the will of God. He then urged disciples to seek with intense
earnestness to become acquainted with God Himself as revealed in the Holy
Scriptures, and carefully to form and maintain godly habits of systematic Bible
study and prayer, holy living and consecrated giving. He taught that God
alone is the one all-satisfying portion of the soul, and that we must determine
to possess and enjoy Him as such. He closed by emphasizing it as the one,
single, all-absorbing, daily aim to glorify God in a complete surrender to His
will and service." (p.257)
George once said to the author of this book, at one of their meetings:
"... You will never get at the truth upon any matter of divine revelation unless
you lay aside your prejudices and like a little child ask simply what is the
testimony of Scripture." (p. 261)
All quotes above taken from: Pierson, A.T. (1999). George Muller of Bristol: His Life of Prayer and Faith (2nd printing). Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, MI
So, I hope you are enjoying your sabbath and that you get some enjoyment out of these words about George and from A.T. Pierson.
Blessings today, friends!
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