There is nothing quite so heartbreakingly sad as a child who leaves the godly teaching of a father and a mother and sets out on the well-worn path towards the Prodigal's pig sty. Many parents weep to see their children heading for the swine, and despair at seeing them sit comfortably among the swine's. Innumerable are the prayers that have risen before God's throne for such offspring. The story of one such child returning, one such prodigal bowing to God's com­mandments, should encourage the spirits of many parents who have almost lost hope. For God deals in mysterious ways regarding His children and sometimes the throne is found only after the sty has been lived in for a great many years.

In 1805 George Muller was born in Kroppenstaedt in Prussia. His father had a well-paying government job. George, along with a brother, had all the advantages of a good education. That is to say, he was blessed in the fact that he could afford to attend school when many young­sters in his country could not; that is to say, he was warmly clothed whereas many other children went about in rags; that is to say, he was well-fed in a time when many begged for bread. Alas, his father, although providing all those things necessary for the body, did not feed his young son the truly important food — the food that nourishes the soul. Money was too freely given into the child's hands and George learned the art of squandering away an inheritance at an early age. When he was called to account for how he had spent the allowance his father gave him, he often lied to hide the fact that he had wasted the money. Before young George was ten years old he had grown into a habitual thief and was even able to connive situations in which he could cheat his father out of gov­ernment funds. His conscience, even at this young age, seemed dead and he caused both his father and mother much grief.

By the time young George was 14, he was drinking and gambling, and he was dead drunk on the night his mother died. By the age of 16 he had graduated to jail cells, and his father continually, and unwisely, bailed him out by paying his debts. It seems incredible, but father Muller wanted this sinful son to be educated for the clergy. Knowing all of George's vices and moral degeneration, the man still pursued this sacred calling for an unrepentant, seemingly reprobate son. And did not the apostle John say, "I am not saying you should pray for that" (I John 5:16). But father Muller, whose own state of understanding Scriptures was questionable, desired the undesirable. He desired God's forgiveness for his child without a change in that child's heart. He desired a divine vocation for a fool who would build on sand.

But God is a merciful God, full of compassion and kindness towards His children. And George Muller was His child, even though earthly eyes were unable to see it at this time. A deeper sense of study did not change the wayward boy and his immorality and infi­delity were hidden behind a well-placed screen of piety. We have such screens today. We know that the study of philosophy, physics and history, although not a point­less exercise, is unable to change the heart. There is only one Who can change the heart. There is only one Who can provide new birth. And that Person is God the Father through the Holy Spirit.

The church was in a bad state during the years of George's child­hood and early manhood. Not unlike many churches today. Sermons were not Gospel ser­mons, but simply stories. He did not really know, nor had he heard, the admonition to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, to live by God's help and to act only according to His Word. George did not dwell on his own depravity and although it troubled him from time to time, he had no conception of the change that could be wrought within his life through Christ.

And then the time came that the pig feed, the slop, dirt and slime he wallowed in, became odious to George. It was God's time. For some reason, a reason he was later unable to explain himself, George went to a prayer meeting with a friend. He was at this time in his twenty-first year and had never before seen any one pray on his knees. (Oh, what a change could be wrought within circles when children see their parents frequent­ly in this pose.) When George saw a man kneel down and pour out gratitude, honor and petitions to God, he was moved. After the prayer a printed sermon was read containing the simple Gospel of Jesus Christ. Later on, at home, George pondered these things in his heart and the labor of George Muller's rebirth began. Although his bad habits did not change overnight, his open sins became less frequent, his prayers became personal and he sought the Word of God as well as the fellowship of saints. The prodigal slowly withdrew from his dependence upon slop and received a thirst for the Water of Life. Over God's time his life changed.

It would take a great many pages to detail all the matters that took place in Muller's life. God provid­ed a Christian wife for him — one who was a supportive helpmeet in all he undertook. The Muller home was a home that was built on faith and prayer — on a total conviction that God would fill any need that would glorify His name. Muller's mainstay throughout the rest of his life con­tinued to be daily Bible study and prayer. During the next 60 years plus God permit­ted this prodigal to build five large orphan­ages and to be the earthly provider and father to more than 10,000 orphans.

The dissolute youth had grown into a man of trust — and a man to whom God entrusted a task. Ten thousand orphans is an awesome number and the com­mittee-oriented mind of today leads one to con­clude that surely the man must have had a host of backers who pledged dollars and cents to enable him to care for all these fatherless children. But this was not the case. Often George Muller and his wife barely had enough to feed their own family. As a matter of fact, they were usually just one small step ahead of the butcher, the baker and the milkman. So what was the financial secret?

George Muller's secret was a source available to all people — prayer and a total reliance upon the Creator God. The rules for the running of his orphanage were fairly straightforward.

1. It must be run to glorify God and to feed and clothe the father­less.
2. It must be run on prayer.
3. Prayer must be according to Scripture.
4. Reliance must never be on man, only on God.

Once a man sent George Muller a letter. In this letter he said that he was aware that George Muller never solicited funds. But surely, he said, your asking me for help is different than my asking you if you need help. Please let me know if you are in any financial distress. Muller responded graciously that only God was privy to the infor­mation as to the orphanage's needs. It was difficult for him to respond this way to the letter as funds were extremely low for the orphanage at this precise time. Perhaps he thought back to his youth when he took what was offered and stole what was not offered. But that time was past and after formulating the reply to the request for help, Muller went to his room and prayed that the man might be moved to give with­out knowing of the need. And it is recorded that the man sent 100 pounds in his next letter, just in time to pay salaries due and to fill an empty larder.

To my way of thinking, George Muller should have made the financial need of the day known. But I cannot argue with the fact that God blessed Muller's prayer of total trust in Him time and again. For never did a child in the orphanage go hungry. Never was a child inadequately clothed. And 10,000 children over some 60-plus years eat a lot of breakfasts, lunches and suppers besides wear­ing a great many shoes, pants and dresses.

George Muller is quoted as say­ing: "There was a day when I died, utterly died; died to George Muller ... died to the world ... and since then I have studied only to show myself approved unto God ... My aim never was, how much I could obtain, but rather how much I could give."

Muller's giving, his stewardship, is a remarkable testimony to his trust in God. Upon his death it was discovered that he had given a total of some eighty-one thou­sand four hundred and ninety pounds eighteen shillings and eightpence to godly causes (orphanage, Bible and tract distri­bution, etc.) over the course of his life. He did not tithe but gave all that was left him after the simplest and most necessary of the needs of his family were met.

The last paragraph of Muller's will reads: "I cannot help admir­ing God's wondrous grace in bringing me to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus when I was an entirely careless and thoughtless young man, and that He has kept me in His fear and truth, allowing me the great honor, for so long a time, of serving Him."

A comprehensive summary of the work God permitted Muller to serve in includes the following: some 81,501 children attended the day-schools he founded; some 32,944 children attended the Sunday schools he began; some 1,989,266 Bibles were circulated by his efforts; some 3,101,338 religious books and tracts were distributed through his efforts; and some 10,024 orphans were cared for through the orphanages.

Often there were times when money for evening suppers in the orphanages were unaccounted for in the afternoon of that same day. On one such occasion a poor woman came to one of the homes and gave two pence saying: "It is a trifle, but I must give it to you." So opportune was this 'small' gift, however, that one stands back in amazement. The two pence were just what was needed to make up the sum to buy bread. George Muller's rules, you see, did not permit any of his staff ever to buy anything unless they had the exact money in hand.

George Muller, prodigal son and steward of orphanages, stands on record as never having asked any­one for help but His Lord. And the Lord stands on record as provid­ing. These records are of good report. There is virtue in them! There are praiseworthy matters in them! They are true, noble, just, pure and lovely to think on! Therefore, dear reader, meditate on them!

The biography, George Muller of Bristol, by A. Pierson, first pub­lished in 1899 a year after Muller's death, was republished in 1999 by Kregel. It is a book well-worth reading.