Listening to the Giants

Death is an unnatural joy. This is not to say that death is not normal, because it certainly is. Its sting brings fear, and yet, by the mercy of God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the sting of death has been relieved (1 Cor. 15:55-57). For Robert Murray McCheyne, it was the sting of his brother’s death that awakened him to the Divine peace. McCheyne’s brother David was 8 or 9 years older and was the light of Christ in the McCheyne household. It was said of him that he was a man of “sensitive truthfulness”. Just a grieved look from his godly brother often led McCheyne to inner shame and subsequent repentance. The months leading up to David’s death were difficult for McCheyne. His brother had a severe bout of melancholy (i.e. depression —modern use), which ate away at his body, leaving him susceptible to physical illness. Before he died, the clouds of depression lifted, but David’s suffering had great impact on McCheyne, who often spoke of his brother’s death...

Throughout this month, this blog will examine certain “snapshots” of Robert Murray McCheyne, which I hope will bring a deeper appreciation for this servant and a greater love for the God whom he gave his life to. Why should you care about the life and ministry of Robert Murray McCheyne?  --His response to his brother’s death is real and noteworthy.  --He was known by many as a man of “unique holiness”.  --His undivided zeal for the gospel was probably the main reason he never married.  --His response to a great revival in his church is eye-opening.  --He is one of the greatest preachers Scotland has ever produced.  --He was a lover of poetry and music and wrote several hymns still sung today.  --His life was plagued with sickness, which led to his premature death at the age of 29.  EARLY LIFE Robert Murray McCheyne was born in Edinburgh in May 1813, the youngest child of a leading solicitor in Scotland's Supreme...

Here are #13--#24: #13—“But how much greater is the spiritual blessing we receive, both in this life and in the world to come, if constrained by the love of Christ, we act as God’s stewards, respecting that, with which He is pleased to entrust us!” #14—“Our Heavenly Father never takes any earthly thing from His children except He means to give them something better instead ”. Early in my Christian walk I would have read this quote and believed that God would bless me like Job (Job 42:12-17). Now in my 23 rd or 29 th year as a Christian, I understand that the blessing may or may not be material , but it is always spiritual. #15—“We have to guard against practically despising the discipline of the Lord, though we may not do so in word, and against fainting under discipline; since all is intended for blessing to us”. The reader must not have a one-dimensional understanding of “fainting”. “Fainting” can mean wilting under the heat of God’s discipline, which ...

These are my favorite quotes from George Müller. History does not label him the most profound Christian, but he was practical and holy . I would take that over “profundity” any day of the week. Here are #1--#12: #1—“My own experience has been, almost invariably, that if I have not the needful sleep , my spiritual enjoyment and strength is greatly affected by it.” The reader must digest the implications of “needful”. Different people, different needs. But we all should be suspicious of the flesh. In other words, the Christian must discern between needful sleep and lazy sleep.   #2—“There may occur cases when travelling by night cannot be avoided; but if it can, though we should seem to lose time by it , and though it should cost more money , I would most affectionately and solemnly recommend the refraining from night-travelling; for in addition to our drawing beyond measure upon our bodily strength, we will be losers spiritually.” Here is Müller’s point: L...

“The passion of George Müller’s soul was to know fully the secrets of prevailing with God and with man. George Whitefield’s life drove home the truth that God alone could create in him a holy earnestness to win souls and qualify him for such divine work by imparting a compassion for the lost that should become an absorbing passion for their salvation. And—let this be carefully marked as another secret of this life of service—he now began himself to read the word of God upon his knees , and often found for hours great blessing in such meditation and prayer over a single psalm or chapter .” (p. 138-139) Here is the disclaimer: It is not the posture of prayer that ultimately matters to God. But it is wrong to say that posture doesn’t matter, because our posture often reflects what is happening in our hearts. After reading this you may be thinking, “Good for George Müller. He has his way and I have mine. God only wants my heart.” Fair enough. But before you shut the “door of se...

The death of Mrs. Müller was no surprise to Müller or anyone else, but his response did catch a few people off guard. His biographer reveals the details below:   “The death of this beloved wife afforded an illustration of this. Within a few hours after this withdrawal of her who had shared with him the planning and working of these long years of service, Mr. Müller went to the Monday-evening prayer meeting, then held in Salem Chapel, to mingle his prayers and praises as usual with those of his brethren. With a literally shining countenance, he rose and said: “Beloved brethren and sisters in Christ, I ask you to join with me in hearty praise and thanksgiving to my precious Lord for His loving kindness in having taken my darling, beloved wife out of the pain and suffering which she had endured, into His own presence; and as I rejoice in everything that is for her happiness, so I now rejoice as I realize how far happier she is, in beholding her Lord who she loved so well, than in ...

One of my favorite sections of the biography is when A.T. Pierson presents a list of 24 important steps, steps that he believes were essential in the spiritual formation of George Müller. Here are the final steps 19-24: 19. His surrender of all earthly possessions. Both himself and his wife literally sold all they had and gave alms, henceforth to live by the day, hoarding no money even against a time of future need, sickness, old age, or any other possible crisis of want. Again, the reader must look at Müller as a description of a godly Saint, not as a prescription of a godly Saint . In other words, don’t finish reading this blog post and then go sell all of your belongings. That response is probably not in the will of God. Yet we must re-examine our love of money or at least the security that money provides. Our lack of prayerfulness is often connected to our self-sufficient heart and our self-sufficient heart is fueled by having the monetary resources to “fill our mout...

One of my favorite sections of the biography is when A.T. Pierson presents a list of 24 important steps, steps that he believes were essential in the spiritual formation of George Müller. Here are steps 13-18:   13. His companions in service. Two most efficient co-workers were divinely provided: first his brother Craik so like-minded with himself, and secondly, his wife, so peculiarly God’s gift, both of them proving great aids in working and in bearing burdens of responsibility. History doesn’t speak much of Mr. Craik, but to be as like-minded as George Müller says volumes about this man. In a similar way, history speaks little about George Müller’s wife. This amazing woman entered into marriage agreeing to a life of voluntary poverty, desiring to “help” her husband live out God’s plan for him. Here are Müller’s words about her at her funeral: “She was God’s own gift, exquisitely suited to me even in natural temperament. Thousands of times I said to her, ‘My da...

One of my favorite sections of the biography is when Pierson presents a list of 24 important steps, steps that he believes were essential in the spiritual formation of George Müller. Here are steps 7-12:   7. His cutting loose from man. Step by step, all dependence on men or appeals to man for support were abandoned, together with all borrowing, running into debt, stated salary, etc. His eyes were turned to God alone as the Provider. Early on in his Christian journey, Müller committed himself (and his wife) to voluntary poverty and then to the rejection of a fixed salary. Is this approach a prescription for the Christian life? No, it is not. Yet this does not mean we should disregard the reason that drove Müller to this commitment, a desire to trust God and to show others that God is the Great Provider. Furthermore, how often does “the law of sin” convince us that this approach is irrational, irresponsible and foolish….but really we simply want to stay comfortable. We like...

In my opinion, the best biography written on George Müller is George Müller of Bristol , written by A.T. Pierson. One of my favorite sections of the biography is when Pierson presents a list of 24 important steps, steps that he believes were essential in the spiritual formation of George Müller. Here are the first six: 1. First of all, his conversion. In the most unfortunate manner and at the most unexpected time God led him to turn from the error of his way, and brought him to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. 2. Next, his missionary spirit. That consuming flame was kindled within him, which when it is fanned by the Spirit and fed by the fuel of facts, inclines to unselfish service and makes one willing to go wherever, and to do whatever the Lord wills. I would also add that Müller’s missionary spirit was not a global missionary spirit. Many Christians have the wrong idea of missions, which in turn, limits their usefulness in their present context or simply f...

Every Christian should sit at the feet of George Müller. His discipline and his faith are worthy of study, but most of us need to learn how Müller pleaded with God. The excerpt below gives us a snapshot into his prayer life: “This method of holy argument —ordering our cause before God, as an advocate would plead before a judge—is not only almost a lost art, but to many it actually seems almost puerile (this means infantile or childish …I didn’t know what it meant). And yet it is abundantly taught and exemplified in Scripture. Abraham in his plea for Sodom is the first great example of it. Moses excelled in this art, in many crises interceding in behalf of the people with consummate skill, marshalling arguments as a general-in-chief marshals battalions. Elijah on Carmel is a striking example of power in this special pleading. What holy zeal and jealousy for God! It is probable that if we had fuller records we should find that all pleaders with God, like Noah, Job, Samuel, David, Danie...

I will get right to it. Müller was the #2 pastor in his church. Was it stretching for him? Look and see: “Mr. Müller found opportunity for the exercise of humility, for he saw that by many his brother’s gifts were much preferred to his own; yet as Mr. Craik would come to Bristol only with him as a yokefellow, God’s grace enabled him to accept the humiliation of being the less popular, and comforted him with the thought that two are better than one, and that each might possibly fill up some lack in the other, and thus both together prove a greater benefit and blessing alike to sinners and to saints—as the result showed. That same grace of God helped Mr. Müller to rise higher—nay, let us rather say, to sink lower and “in honor preferring one another,” to rejoice rather than to be envious; and like John the Baptist, to say within himself: “A man can receive nothing except it be given him from above.” (p. 98) The reader might be tempted to think, “That is not hard. I would be humbl...