George Muller was a true man of faith who relied solely on God to provide not only for all of his personal needs, but also for all of the necessities of his ministries (See George Muller, Parts 1 & 2 for more details). There were, however, two very important principles that George, as the recipient of many monetary gifts, followed explicitly: He was concerned about the giver; and he believed in giving back to the Lord!

When George Muller accepted donations, he didn’t accept them from just anyone. He firmly believed that a Christian should not incur debt, but that he should depend on God instead. Whenever he encountered someone in debt, George would encourage that person to pay off his debts before contributing to his cause. Now this may seem as if George was refusing the help that God was sending him; but he was simply trusting God to provide through people who weren’t in debt!

One New Year’s Eve when there was again no food to feed the orphans, one of George’s friends, whom he knew to be in debt, handed him a sealed envelope containing money. It was the monetary solution George had been praying for, but he refused the donation. The children didn’t go hungry, however. God provided for them through other means!

The second principle that George practiced was that of giving back to the Lord. His philosophy was that finances provided by the Lord should be spent to the Lord’s honor. He firmly believed in God’s promise: “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:38 NIV)

During the first year after making his resolution to not rely on a fixed salary, George personally received, as a result of prayer, a total of 151 pounds. Of this, he gave 50 pounds back to the Lord. The next year he received 195 pounds and gave back 65. The following year he donated 110 pounds of the 267 he received. From 1836 to 1845, his income totaled 3400 pounds, of which 1280 pounds were given back to the Lord. During the next 10 years of his life, he received 26,000 pounds, from which he donated 22,330 pounds. In his lifetime George Muller was the recipient of the equivalent of more than 7 ½ million dollars. When he died, however, his entire estate consisted of only 169 pounds, 9 shillings and 4 pennies, the equivalent of $850. Of this, over $500 worth were in furniture, books and other personal belongings. George Muller could rightfully conclude: “I had given and God caused to be given to me again and bountifully.”

George Muller had truly learned to depend on God for all of his necessities, to the point where he could generously give back to the Lord much of what he was given, and to the point that he could be choosy about who he accepted money from. What about you? Who do you run to when facing financial burdens? Who do you rely on when finances seem to evaporate from your hands?

“In God we trust!” Was George Muller’s motto. Is it yours as well?

Rob Chaffart

(To access the entire “George Muller” devotional series, please click here.)