George Muller was the son of a Prussian tax collector, born in 1805 in Germany. George was far from a model child. He used his money selfishly, but in a way his parents wouldn't find out. And he even stole government money that was in his father's possession.
His teen years were spend in school, playing cards, and visiting the local taverns. His mother died when he was 14, and his father gave him very little supervision. He was a very terrible teenager who drank and lived as he pleased. This even got him thrown into jail!
To look at George you never would have thought that he could amount to anything but a selfish old drunk! His life was very much the same until one day he went to a Christian meeting at a friend's house. George something very strange that day that would forever alter his course of life.
The scene of Christians on their knees praying was one that George couldn't rival with all his travels. It was something he had really never encountered. George asked Christ to be his Savior, and at the age of 20 he became a new creature. He found the desire and the strength to change.
George wanted to become a missionary to the Jews. He applied to a society in London and moved there. A German by birth, he became fluent in the English language. Because of his health, George travelled to the country and met Henry Craik, the Silas to his Paul, or so he would find out!
He married a woman 5 years older than himself and together they began a journey of not asking people for help, but solely depending on God for supplying their needs.
“After the Lord has tried our faith, he, in the love of His heart, gives us an abundance. For the glory of His name and for trial of our faith, He allows us to be poor and then graciously supplies our needs.”
In 1832, he and Craik moved to Bristol, England, where they spent the rest of their lives in service to the Lord. Cholera broke out in their village and many people lost their lives. For some time, George had been thinking of starting an orphanage in Bristol.
His life was spent in giving many children the father they needed and the faith that would carry them through. George always relied on God to supply his needs, and thru his faithfulness he saw orphans raised, tracts and Bibles sent out, missionaries supported, and all his godly desires met.
The end of his life was spent on worldwide evangelism. He preached in 42 different countries, and was said to read his Bible completely through over 200 times. And saw specific answers to prayer, which he estimated to be around 50,000. Over 3,000 of his 10,024 orphans came to know Christ as their Savior, and he even influenced the lives of missionaries around the world.
“Money is really worth no more than as it can be used to accomplish the Lord's work. Life is worth as much as it is spent for the Lord's service.”
At his death in 1898, tens of thousands were said to have lined the streets of Bristol. He is remembered as a father of many who gave his life for the glory of God, and the man who built his ministry through faith and prayer.
