Skip to main content

The Providence of God and the Work of the Gospel, Part 1, by Pastor Charlie Handren

By Anonymous



The Providence of God and the Work of the Gospel, Part I
By Pastor Charlie

When George Müller was twenty-two years old, he learned of a missionary opportunity in Bucharest, Romania. After a time of prayer, he decided to apply for the position, for despite his weaknesses, he “had a great desire to live wholly for God” (Autobiography of George Müller, Westminster Literature, 23).

After receiving the consent of his father and spending some time with him, he returned to Halle [Germany], and now prepared with earnestness for the work of the Lord.
I set before me the sufferings which might await me. I counted the cost. And he, who once so fully served Satan, was now willing, constrained by the love of Christ, rather to suffer affliction for the sake of Jesus, ‘than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.’ I also prayed with a degree of earnestness concerning my future work. (23)
However, as he prepared himself to go, he encountered an older Christian friend who was about to give up on a ministry to the Jews simply because of his age. On hearing of this, the Lord began to stir in Müller’s heart to take his place and thus he began learning Hebrew and otherwise taking steps in that direction. But since he had committed to the work in Romania, he thought it best to follow through with that, trusting that the Lord would guide him along the way.

Amazingly, due to a war between the Turks and Russians, the mission society decided not to send Müller or anyone to Bucharest, and just at that time one of Müller’s mentors offered him a position as a missionary to the Jews. After a time of prayer, Müller was not sure of what the Lord would have him do, but he thought it good to apply to the position and trust the Lord to guide his path.

Accordingly, Müller applied for the position in December of 1827 and received an answer on June 13, 1828—seven months later! While they did think it good to accept his application, they wanted him to come to London to interact with the committee, pray, and make final plans. This wasn’t good news to Müller. However, upon consideration he saw the wisdom in going, received the blessing of his Father, and began the process that would lead to the journey.

Next week, we’ll consider the conclusion of the story, but for now, please reflect on what you’ve read and ponder the providence of God.
  • How do you see the Lord working in Müller?
  • What might we learn from the Lord’s work in his life?
  • How is the Lord working through the various circumstances of your life and of our life together as a church?







Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

To Have My Soul Happy in the Lord, by George Muller

By Anonymous
To Have My Soul Happy in the Lord By George Muller “It has pleased the Lord to teach me a truth, the benefit of which I have not lost for more than fourteen years. The point is this: I saw more clearly than ever that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing to be concerned about was not how much I might serve the Lord, or how I might glorify the Lord, but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man might be nourished. “I saw that the most important thing I had to do was to give myself to the reading of the Word of God—not prayer, but the Word of God. And here again, not the simple reading of the Word of God so that it only passes through my mind just as water runs through a pipe, but considering what I read, pondering over it, and applying it to my heart. To meditate on it, that thus my heart might be comforted, encouraged, warned, reproved, instructed. And that thus,...
Post a Comment
Read more

Worship Songs, October 15, 2017

By
We post these worship songs leading up to the worship service so that parents may listen to them in the house or in the car within the days leading up to the worship service. Our hope is that children will hear the songs prior to and it will prepare them to participate in worship on Sunday mornings. My Redeemers Love Hope Has Come I Will Glory In My Redeemer Blessed Be Your Name Here In Your Presence Your Glory Be Still My Soul (In You I Rest) -- Sermon Text: John 11:1-16 That the next generation will set their hope in God and not forget the works of God (Psalm 78:7).
Post a Comment
Read more

Meditations on the Glory of Christ: He Sits at the Right Hand of God

By
In Hebrews 1:2-4, the author makes seven claims about Jesus that when taken together greatly exalt his glory. The seventh claim the author makes about the Son is that, having made purification for sins, he now sits at the right hand of the Majesty on high. The words “he sat down” set the stage for chapter 7 where we’re taught that Jesus is both Priest and King. Prior to Jesus, no king offered his own sacrifices and no priest sat on the throne of David, for that wouldn’t be right. God had decreed that there should be a separation of powers between the priest and the king, but Jesus, unlike all before him, is worthy and able to fulfill both roles. So, on the one hand, Jesus sat down at the right hand of God after making purification for sins because the sacrifice he offered, namely himself, is sufficient. Other priests were always standing, as we see in chapter 10:11-14, because their work was never done. The blood of bulls and goats can never take away sins, so the priests could...
Post a Comment
Read more