The Fork In The Road

HOW MUCH OF GOD DO I REALLY WANT?

BY AUTHOR MIKE MAZYCK

“Father, make me a crisis man. Bring those I contact to decision. Let me not be a milepost on a single road; make me a fork, that men “must turn one way or another on facing Christ in me.”

These words of Jim Elliot resonate deeply with me. Every now and then, as I journey along this road, I encounter a man (or a sermon or book) that is entirely different from the rest. Upon knowing these men, or hearing these great messages, I realize I am now presented with a great dilemma in my life. I realize that I have not simply encountered another milepost on the path; I am a traveler who has been confronted with Christ, and now finds himself standing at a great fork in the road, facing a decision that will greatly impact the trajectory of my entire life.

I find myself standing at one of those forks in the road today, after having recently completed the biography of George Muller by A.T. Pierson. George Muller (1805–1898) was born in Prussia and, as a young man, lived very rebelliously. Let’s just say that he excelled at being a misfit and criminal. But upon encountering Christ at a small Bible study one evening, while he was still in his twenties, he repented of his sins and dedicated the rest of his life to the service of Christ.

Muller’s life has become well known because of his work with orphans. He founded five large orphanages on Ashley Downs in Bristol, England, and became a father to more than 10,000 poor and destitute children over the course of his lifetime. He also founded the Scriptural Knowledge Institution, which distributed Bibles and aided missionaries across the world. Surprisingly, though, neither the orphanages nor the institution was the primary work God had put on Muller’s heart, or what he has become most known for.

The passion that burned deep in his heart was very simple: he wanted all men to know that God can be taken at His word. He wanted men to know that God is faithful to the promises He has made, and that wherever He guides — He also provides. Muller’s burning desire was to become a living example of God’s faithful provision. The orphanages and the institution were only the means to that end.

Muller’s faith was simple — childlike in nature. He read the word of God and believed what it said. He did not rationalize it. He did not bend and twist the word to accommodate the age he lived in. He did not ask himself if it was “realistic” to actually live in such a manner. He was a man that saw certain “promises” had been made within the word — and, just like a child would, he expected his Father to deliver.

His childlike faith led him to some deep biblical convictions, specifically about money. Convictions that I think today may be considered controversial by many. He did not believe in storing up treasures on Earth. He did not believe in debt. And perhaps what many of God’s workers today would consider to be most extreme, he did not believe in soliciting donations of any kind. He wouldn’t even ask for money in those backdoor and indirect kinds of ways. To Muller, the thought of a child of God having to solicit funds for work that God had called him to do could not be fathomed. He once said:

“I have always seen it as a dishonor to the Lord to be begging for money. Why should I go to man for support, when I can go to the living God who owns all things? My heart’s desire is that every provision for the orphan work might be seen to come directly from Him, so that His faithfulness and goodness may be fully evident to all.”

For a child of God to go to the unbeliever and the world [banks] for money, he considered to be even more preposterous:

“To ask unbelievers for money is dishonoring to God. Why should we look to the world for aid, as though the Lord were unable or unwilling to supply all we need ... If the work be of God, He will surely provide the means. But for the believer to go to the world and ask for help is, I believe, a denial of God’s love and power.”

When Muller had a need — whether personal or ministry-related — there were only two things for him to do: pray ... and wait! That’s it, nothing else.

If we were to put Muller’s strategy into today’s world, there would be no 401k or long-term investment strategies. No banks. No car loans. No mortgages. No charity golf tournaments. No galas with high-profile speakers. No auctions. No dedicated staff to manage complex fundraising campaigns. These things he considered an offense to the God He saw on the pages of Scripture. He saw the hypocrisy behind a church that, as he stated it, “professes to believe in a God with infinite resources, yet begs from men as though God were poor.” In light of these strong convictions, Muller chose a different path. A much narrower path, with far fewer travelers. He trusted God, and God alone!

But did Muller’s approach work? Did God answer these prayers? I think you know the answer.

One of the most well-known accounts from his journals tells of a morning when there was no food left in the pantry for breakfast and no money left to buy more. With hundreds of hungry children needing to be fed, Muller gathered them together to pray and thank God for the breakfast that was nowhere in sight.

Within moments of his amen, there was a knock at the door from the local baker to donate fresh bread to the orphans. Moments after the baker left came another knock at the door — the milkman’s cart had broken down outside the orphanage. Rather than let the milk spoil, he donated it to the children.

I can’t help but wonder what happened to the faith of those children that morning? I wonder what the kitchen staff thought as they saw yet another prayer answered by this God that Muller kept speaking of.

Now, lest we deceive ourselves into thinking God provides only for the small stuff, like milk and bread, we should probably consider the scope of his ministry and the larger provisions as well.

One of the largest examples of God’s provision came in 1845 when the currently rented facilities for the orphans had become overcrowded. New facilities would need to be built, and God had placed a major construction project (costing well into the seven figures by today’s standard) on Muller’s heart. Muller held firm to his beliefs and decided it was no different than funding milk and bread; he would pray ... and wait! Once again — God provided! Muller’s journals show the entire project was funded with no delays.

Speaking of his journals, Muller knew that the only way he could truly become a living example of God’s provision was to keep meticulous records. And that he did. His journals have become the linchpin of his life and testimony. He recorded every single need of the ministry and every single donation that came in over the course of his 60-plus years of service; thousands of journal entries show a ministry that received and distributed funds that would have equated to approximately 195 million dollars by today’s standard. In 1875 alone, he was overseeing 2,000 orphans and had ongoing costs that today would equate to several million dollars annually. This wasn’t just about milk and bread.

What are we to do with a man like George Muller? As I personally reflect on his life and testimony, I keep hearing the words of A.W. Tozer ringing in my ears: “Every man is as close to God as he wants to be.” I am certain that was the greatest prize of Muller’s life; he was a man who knew God in a way that very few men do.

And I think that’s the question I now face: How much of God do I want? How close to Him do I want to be? Will I read Muller’s story and simply be “encouraged” by it? Will I finish the last chapter and thoughtlessly reach for the next book, as if I had just encountered a common man? Will I, as Jim Elliott would have said, view Muller as a milepost on a single road?

Or will I be honest with myself and admit that I have confronted Christ in Muller? That I now find myself standing at a fork in the road — facing a great dilemma! How much of God do I want? How narrow of a road am I willing to travel?

I would love to know your thoughts! Comment on this post or read more articles by visiting MikeMazyck.com