The words below are from Reprint No. 4468 of the Original Watchtower and Herald of Christ’s Presence.
The Apostle does not tell us the basis of his confidence in doing the will of the Lord in going to Jerusalem, but we may be sure that he had substantial reasons for believing that he was walking in the Lord’s way. His entire character shows us that he would be too cautious, as well as too faithful, to go in any direction contrary to the Divine will.
As to how we may decide as to what is and what is not the Lord’s way for us, we find that the rule which George Mueller tells us he followed is so nearly the one which we follow ourself that we take pleasure in quoting it:—
“I seek in the beginning to get my heart in such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter. Nine-tenths of the difficulties are overcome when our hearts are ready to do the Lord’s will, whatever it may be. Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impression. If I do so, I make myself liable to a great delusion. I seek the will or Spirit of God through, or in connection with, the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone, without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions also. If the holy Spirit guides us at all, he will do it according to the Scriptures, and never contrary to them. Next, I take into account providential circumstances. These often plainly indicate God’s will, in connection with his Word and his Spirit. I ask God in prayer to reveal his will to me aright. Thus by the prayer to God, the study of the Word, and reflection, I come to deliberate judgment according to the best of my knowledge and opportunity, and, if my mind is thus at peace, I proceed accordingly.”
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“George Mueller (1805-1898) was a Christian evangelist and the director of the Ashley Down orphanage in Bristol, England.
“He cared for 10,024 orphans during his lifetime, and provided educational opportunities for the orphans to the point that he was even accused by some of raising the poor above their natural station in British life. He established 117 schools which offered Christian education to more than 120,000 children.
“On 7 October 1830, he married Mary Groves, the sister of Anthony Norris Groves. At the end of October, he renounced his regular salary, believing that the practice could lead to church members giving out of duty, not desire. He also eliminated the renting of church pews, arguing that it gave unfair prestige to the wealthy (based primarily on James 2:1–9).
“In 1834, he founded the Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and Abroad, with the goal of aiding Christian schools and missionaries; distributing the Bible and Christian tracts; and providing Day-schools, Sunday-schools and Adult-schools, all upon a Scriptural foundation. Not receiving government support and only accepting unsolicited gifts, this organisation received and disbursed £1,381,171 – around £113 million in today’s terms – by the time of Müller’s death, primarily using the money for supporting the orphanages and distributing about 285,407 Bibles, 1,459,506 New Testaments, and 244,351 other religious texts, which were translated into twenty other languages” (Wikipedia).
In 1836 Mueller and his wife prepared their own rented home at 6 Wilson Street, Bristol for the accommodation of 30 girls and not long after, they furnished more houses in Wilson Street to care for up to 130 children. By 1870, 1,722 children were being accommodated in 5 homes (Wikipedia).
“Through all this, Müller never made requests for financial support, nor did he go into debt, even though the five homes cost more than £100,000 to build. Many times, he received unsolicited food donations only hours before they were needed to feed the children, further strengthening his faith in God. Müller was in constant prayer that God touch the hearts of donors to make provisions for the orphans. For example, on one well-documented occasion, thanks was given for breakfast when all the children were sitting at the table even though there was nothing to eat in the house. As they finished praying, the baker knocked on the door with sufficient fresh bread to feed everyone, and the milkman gave them plenty of fresh milk because his cart broke down in front of the orphanage. In his autobiographical entry for February 12, 1842, he wrote:
A brother in the Lord came to me this morning and, after a few minutes of conversation gave me two thousand pounds for furnishing the new Orphan House … Now I am able to meet all of the expenses. In all probability I will even have several hundred pounds more than I need. The Lord not only gives as much as is absolutely necessary for his work, but he gives abundantly. This blessing filled me with inexplicable delight. He had given me the full answer to my thousands of prayers during the [past] 1,195 days” (Wikipedia).
“The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance,
but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.
(Proverbs 21:5, ESV).
Further Suggested Reading
Is It Finally Time To Change 12/29/2013 — Executing true and lasting change in your Christian life.
https://christianquestions.com/character/794-is-it-finally-time-to-change/
Effectual Prayer by Br. Francis Earl. The Herald of Christ’s Kingdom Magazine,
http://www.heraldmag.org/literature/pray_3.htm
The Privilege and Power of Prayer by Br. Irwin Doran. The Herald of Christ’s Kingdom Magazine. Echoes from the Past. http://www.heraldmag.org/literature/pray_7.htm
Pray Without Ceasing. Reprints of the Original Watchtower & Herald of Christ’s Presence. R.3351-3354. http://www.htdbv8.com/1904/r3351b.htm
The Prayer of the New Creature. Reprints of the Original Watchtower & Herald of Christ’s Presence: R.4983. http://www.htdbv8.com/1912/r4983.htm
Thanksgiving in our Hearts. Adapted, David Steindl-Rast. Beauties of the Truthhttp://www.beautiesofthetruth.org/Archive/Library/Doctrine/Mags/Bot/90s/2003nov.pdf
Let This Cup Pass From Me by Jerry Leslie. Beauties of the Truth.
Hezekiah’s Song of Trust by Carl Hagensick, and Pray Without Ceasing by Peter the Damascene. The Beauties of the Truth.
Importunate Prayer. BIBLE Students DAILY.
https://biblestudentsdaily.com/2017/08/23/importunate-prayer/
What is the Purpose and Intent of Prayer; What are its Privileges and its Limits? BIBLE Students DAILY.
https://biblestudentsdaily.com/2016/03/15/what-is-the-purpose-and-intent-of-prayer-what-are-its-privileges-and-its-limits/
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: Prayer—The “Oxygen” for the New Creature in Christ. BIBLE Students DAILY.
https://biblestudentsdaily.com/2017/11/04/1-thessalonians-516-18-prayer-the-oxygen-for-the-new-creature-in-christ/
The Joy of the Lord Is Your Strength. BIBLE Students DAILY. https://biblestudentsdaily.com/2016/12/20/nehemiah-810-the-joy-of-the-lord-is-your-strength/
This post’s URL is:
https://biblestudentsdaily.com/2018/08/25/how-to-decide-the-lords-will/
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