One of my spiritual heroes is George Muller. A man of faith and prayer who housed thousands of orphans and provided for them. What inspires me most about him is the fact that as a young man he committed to God that he would never tell people what he and wife needed personally. They would only make their needs known to God. When he served as a pastor he refused to take a salary. He sat a simple wooden box in the back of the church and people gave free will offerings that he and his wife lived on. While that may sound noble, there were plenty of times when those offerings were extremely low. They never told anyone if they were in need. They took their needs to God in prayer alone and watched God provide in the most unusual ways.
When Muller started the first orphanage, he operated it on the same principle. He trusted God for rent money in the first house they used. He trusted God for all the furnishings, the staff to help work, clothing for the children, and for all the food. When the orphans kept coming, he expanded to other rental properties. Eventually he believed God to build permanent orphan houses that could accommodate over a thousand children at a time. He still did not tell anyone when they needed large sums of money for provision or a single meal. He prayed and trusted God to send just what they needed each day. God did and his biography is one miracle story after another.
Several decades ago, Brenda and I adopted that same philosophy in our marriage. No matter how great the need, we prayed and trusted God. What ensued over the past three decades has been a series of miraculous answered prayers that many would find hard to believe. What we have learned over and over again has been that God provides. He not only provides, but He does so at the exact time we need it.
Many times, over those years wealthy people have told me, "If you need anything just let me know." I respond the same way each time. "I never will. We tell God what we need and watch God answer those prayers." This is not out of pride. It is because God has called us to live by faith and to encourage others to trust God and to pray more. We do not always delight in the numerous trials we have face. We do rejoice in the multitude of answered prayers. I try to glorify God in writing in these blogs and in books as well as when I preach so there will be a record of what God has done. We live by faith to promote the glory of God and to show people that God answers prayer.
Brenda has not worked since November 12. She had her right knee replaced on November 13 after having the left one replaced on July 10. This meant she did not work for close to two months the first time and has not worked in weeks this time. Both times we knew that our income would be cut in half. We did not tell anyone. We just prayed. How God provided back in the summer has already been recorded so I need not go into that again.
We knew this time of year would be a challenge going into Thanksgiving and Christmas. It has been a regular topic of prayer starting on November 13th the day of the surgery until now. Even this morning I recorded this prayer in my journal. "I ask You to penetrate the thoughts of people with the abundance to give." Well, sit back and let me tell you another miracle story.
For three weeks I have walked in faith to our P.O. Box hoping for a miracle. I have also walked to the mailbox at our home in faith waiting for God to answer those prayers. I live in expectation of God's help. He surprised me today.
Someone from the school asked me to check the mail for them. They receive their mail in the church mailbox. I went for them but also in faith for Brenda and me. There was no miracle waiting. The school was missing an item that was reported as delivered. The delivery drivers often leave things outside the sanctuary door and sometimes those items get placed in my old office. I thought I would check there just in case.
I entered the office but did not see any mail. I did see a hat on my old desk along with a few reference books I leave in there when I need a quiet place to study. I noticed a hat on the desk. The hat was not mine. Nobody uses that office except Turner during the summers when he interns with us at the church. Under the hat sat a white envelope. Curious I looked under the cap and turned the envelope. One word was handwritten on the envelope. "Matt." I picked it up thinking one of the members left me an article to read. When I peeked inside, I saw another miracle. Several crisp $100 bills. Ten to be exact for a total of $1,000. We told no one our need. How long that money sat in there I don't know.
I had no plans to go into that office today or in the days to come. I spend more time these days working from home so I can be close to Brenda to help her with whatever she might need. I cannot even remember the last time I was in that office. God sent me on a mail mission to lead me to His provision. I am humbled once again by His power and provision.
If you knew the specific things I pray and believe God for most of you would think I am crazy. I cannot tell you what those things are. I have laid those requests before God and wait eagerly to receive and to testify once He answers. They are big things. People have thought I was crazy before when I believed God for downpayment money for houses. They really thought I had lost my mind when I reported that I spent three years praying for vehicles and watched God answer that prayer in the form of five vehicles in thirty days back in 2019. That was not hard for God and fuels my faith to believe Him for future needs.
Here is my honest conviction. There are no difficult things with God. There are just requests. Nothing is impossible with Him. I decided years ago I would take Him up on that. I do not ask flippantly or selfishly. The things I pray and believe Him for are legitimate needs.
I may never understand why God called Brenda and I to walk this faith life step by step. I used to resent it. Now I embrace it. I get to see God do some amazing stuff. You haven't heard anything yet. He can and will do exceedingly and abundantly more than I can ask or imagine according to His power that is at work in me. [Eph 3:20] That power is working in me to grow more faith to believe Him for more and greater things in the future. In turn that will lead to other miracle stories where God will get more glory.
