April 2025 From the Desk of Dave McLean

Revolutionizing The Whole Of My Christian Life

The following incident from the life of George Müller is related by Mr. Inglis, who heard the story from the captain of the ship with whom Müller prayed. When I first came to America, thirty-one years ago. I crossed the Atlantic with the captain of a steamer who was one of the most devoted men I ever knew, and when we were off the banks of Newfoundland be said to me:"Mr. Inglis, the last time I crossed here, five weeks ago, one of the most extraordinary things happened which, has completely revolutionized the whole of my Christian life. Up to that time I was one of your ordinary Christians. We had a man of God on board, George Müller, of Bristol. I had been on that bridge for twenty-two hours and never left it. I was startled by someone tapping me on the shoulder. It was George Müller: "'Captain, he said, 'I have come to tell you that I must be In Quebec on Saturday afternoon.' This was Wednesday."'It is impossible,' I said."'Very well, if your ship can't take me, God will find some other means of locomotion to take me. I have never broken an engagement in fifty seven years.'"’I would willingly help you. How can I? I am helpless.'"'Let us go down to the chart-room and pray.'"I looked at that man of God, and I thought to myself, what lunatic asylum could that man have come from? I never heard of such a thing."'Mr. Müller,' I said, 'do you know how dense the fog is?'"'No,' he replied, 'my eye is not on the density of the fog, but on the living God who controls every circumstance of my life.'"He got down on his knees and prayed one of the most simple prayers. I muttered to myself: 'That would suit a children's class where the children were not more than eight or nine years old.' The burden of his prayer was something like this: 'O Lord, if it is consistent with Thy will, please remove this fog in five minutes. You know the engagement you made for me in Quebec Saturday. I believe it is your will.'"When he finished. I was going to pray, but he put his hand on my shoulder and told me not to pray. "First, you do not believe He will; and second. I believe He has. And there is no need whatever for you to pray about it.' I looked at him, and George Müller said."'Captain. I have known my Lord for forty-seven years, and there has never been a single day that I have failed to gain an audience with the King. Get up, captain, and open the door, and you will find the fog is gone.' I got up, and the fog was gone!"You tell that to some people of a scientific turn of mind, and they will say, 'That is not according to natural laws.' No, it is according to spiritual laws. The God with whom we have to do is omnipotent (unlimited power). Hold on to God's omnipotence. Ask believingly. On Saturday afternoon, I may add, George Müller was there on time."

I want to share some observations from this testimony:

**The captain of the ship said that up to that time he was “an ordinary Christian”.    What is an ordinary Christian?  In the context of this testimony, I believe an ordinary Christian is a man that lacks the intimacy of closeness and communication with God, a Christian that is not familiar with experiencing the supernatural Power of God.

**Then one of the most extraordinary things happened which, has completely revolutionized the whole of my Christian life.  If he were here today, I would be curious to know how his Christian life had been completely revolutionized. 

**I ponder why George Muller asked the captain to join him in prayer; was he thinking, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there”, although he told the captain not to pray.  Or was he wanting to show a side of God to the captain that he had probably never seen? We’ll never know.

**"First, you do not believe He will; and second. I believe He has.  That is a bold and powerful statement, and it shows the contrast of faith between these two men.  How did George Muller know that the fog was assuredly gone? How did George Muller gain such a powerful faith?  Or should I say, How did George Muller gain such a powerful relationship?

**He knows his Lord!  "'Captain. I have known my Lord for forty-seven years, and there has never been a single day that I have failed to gain an audience with the King. Get up, captain, and open the door, and you will find the fog is gone.' I got up, and the fog was gone!

Additional George Muller quotes:

George Muller said his faith was the same faith which is found in every believer.

“My faith is the same faith which is found in every believer. It has been increasing little by little for the last twenty-six years. Many times when I could have gone insane from worry, I was in peace because my soul believed the truth of that promise—‘We know that all things work together for good to them that love God’ (Romans 8:28).”

“Faith does not operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Faith begins where man's power ends.”

I marvel at God’s love.  I marvel at George Muller’s relationship with the Father.  Do you want that relationship?  I do!!!  I read George Muller’s biography in 1996, and it completely revolutionized the whole of my Christian life.  Up to that time I was one of your ordinary Christians.  I don’t remember much happening the first ten years of my Christian walk.  I read George Muller: Delighted in God, by Roger Steer and, coupled with my studies in the Word on faith, I began to develop the discipline of getting up early to meet with the Lord.  That’s what George Muller did.  I would meet with the Lord for 1-1½ hours at 5:00 a.m., and many days would nod off in the process, then wake up and continue on. 

Two to three months later, the Lord asked me to shut down my construction business, follow Him and serve Him in faith, without taking pay or reimbursement for my expenses.  It was like I hit a pinball bumper and my life projected in a completely different direction than I had ever imagined.  Looking back, I had fear going forward into God’s unknown, but am thankful beyond thankful for His adventure and wouldn’t trade it for anything.  He has provided for us for this past 28 years.  I was in serious fear for the better part of a year as my budget made no earthly sense.  But the Lord provided and, over time, I came to be secure in my faith as He balanced our budget through a series of miracles.  I could tell you stories for days on end, of the supernatural things the Lord has done in our lives, and the lives of others.

It all began with the simple reading of that George Muller biography.  I try to inspire our shelter guests when they come to live with us.  They need God’s power and love.  When we have been hurt or are in a struggle that is bigger than ourselves, it helps to know our God is far bigger than our struggles.  God so wants to help us and move mountains for us, but as with George Muller on that ship, do we believe?  Do we believe that He is God and that He wants to help us?  Do we believe that investing our daylight hours in pursuing the God we cannot see is worth our time?  Do we believe His Word is true and powerful for helping us in our struggles?  1 Cor. 4:20  “For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.”   Do you believe that?  I believe that!  I’ve experienced too much of that power to not believe that! 

Heb 4:12  “For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”  [“quick” in the Greek means “Alive”- God’s word, accompanied by God’s Holy Spirit is truly alive and brings life- Wow!]  God’s Word, when read, absorbed and lived goes into the deepest, smallest, darkest parts of our being and brings about the healing, life and fellowship with our heavenly Father and Creator we have always longed for but never knew how to obtain!

This is our ministry at A Ray of Hope!  You can take a woman, child or man into a shelter, feed and protect them from the harsh world, or you can take them into the presence of their Creator and let Him give them true healing, purpose and hope that is only found in God’s truth, power and love.  Not all embrace it, but all who visit us hear it.  And, Lord willing, those seeds will blossom, either in our presence, or later when least expected.  So my message to all who read this, is to come to the table and partake of the abundant gifts that the Lord has for you.  Over the years I know I have left so much on the table with God, but my hope is to take Him up on His offerings, and to help our guests to do the same!

Our God is so gracious!  Amen?  Amen!