George Muller – Financial Lesson
September 25. We still meet for daily prayer. In four days the rent for the Orphan Houses will be due, and we have nothing for it. Also the house keeping money in the three houses is gone again. May the Lord have compassion on us and continue to help us!
September 29. Prayer has been made for serval days concerning the rent which is due today. I have been expecting the money, although I did not know where a shilling was to come from. This morning the headmaster called on me, and we prayed together from ten until a quarter to twelve.
Twelve o’clock struck, the time when the rent would have been paid, but no money had been sent. For some days I have repeatedly had a misgiving, whether the Lord might not answer us, in order that we would begin to set money aside daily for the rent.
This is only the second complete failure of answer to prayer in the ministry during the past four years and six months. The first was about the half-yearly rent of Castle-Green classrooms due July 1, 1837, which had come in only in part by that time. I am now fully convinced that the rent should be put aside daily or weekly as God prospers us, in order that the work, even in this point, may be a testimony. May the Lord help us to act accordingly, and may He mercifully send in the money to pay the rent!
October 2. The Lord has dealt most bountifully with us during the last three days! Five pounds came in for the orphans. Oh, how kind is the Lord! Yesterday, more came in and defrayed the house keeping expenses. The Lord also helped me to pay the rent.
Even while he was praying George had a misgiving that something was wrong, and he even knew what it was. For days he had repeatedly had a misgiving that the Lord might not answer this time. And that the not answering was for a reason.
George says the reason was that they would begin to set money aside for the rent ahead of time.
When the rent did not come in on time George wrote that he was now fully convinced that the rent should be put aside daily or weekly as God prospers us.
Handling finances like this is actually a Biblical principal. God uses an object lesson from nature to teach this principal. Put away ahead of time for future needs.
Pro 6:6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:
Pro 6:7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,
Pro 6:8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.
The ant knows that there is a need coming. A bill due if you will; a coming time when there will be need but no longer a harvest. The ant knows winter is coming and so puts aside for it ahead of time. So when the resources come in set some aside for what you know is coming.
George learned that yes God provides, but not always at the last minute. God will often provide ahead of time and we should act accordingly and put away for our needs as the money comes in.
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