History is so full of stories that choosing which one to write about can
be a difficult assignment. One of my favourite ways to find subjects for my
articles is by asking others which stories have inspired them. It’s even better
when they share why!
I’ve asked Kaitlyn if she would share a story that has impacted her
recently. The story she chose is one that I hadn’t previously known, but, in
the short time that has passed since Kaitlyn first shared it with me, it has
become both a challenge and a blessing in my life.
Now, I’m super excited to have her share this story and the lessons she
has learned from it with you!
+ + +
The captain paced back and forth on the ship’s deck. All around him
swirled a dense fog. For twenty-two hours, he had not left the bridge. The fowl
weather was making sailing perilous and the safety of his crew and passengers
was weighing heavily on his mind.
A tap on his shoulder made him jump.
“Captain,” said the man, whose name was George Muller, “I have come to tell you that I must be in Quebec on
Saturday afternoon.”
“It is impossible,” said the captain, looking again
at the dense fog that was surrounding his ship.
“Very well,” replied George Muller. “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,” said the captain.
“But how can I? I am helpless.”
“Let us go down to the chart room and pray,” said
George Muller turning to lead the way.
The captain stood staring after him. What
lunatic asylum could the man have come from? I never heard of such a thing.
Following behind, the captain called, “Mr. Muller,
do you know how dense this 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.”
Once inside, the captain followed
George’s example and knelt.
“O Lord,” George Muller prayed, “if it is
consistent with Thy will, please remove this fog in five minutes. You know the
engagement You made for me in Quebec for Saturday. I believe it is Your
will.”
The captain shifted uncomfortably. That prayer
would suit a children's class, where the children were not more than eight or
nine years of age, but it seems rather foolish coming from a grown man.
Clearing his throat, the captain began to pray but
George Muller put his hand on his shoulder and shook his head.
“First,” he said, “you do not believe God will do
it; and, second, I believe He has done it. And there is no need whatever for
you to pray about it.
“Captain, I have known my Lord for fifty-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, you will find the
fog is gone.”
Getting up, the captain opened the door. Just as
George had said, the fog was gone!
On Saturday afternoon George Muller was in Quebec.
+ + +
Do you have the kind of faith George Muller had? A
stubborn faith? A faith that is fixed on God regardless of circumstances?
Psalm xlvi.10a says, “Be still, and know that I am
God;”
When I read this passage I often think of a
physical position of stillness. But this passage seems to be getting at a
position of the heart. We are called as Christians to have a quiet heart, a
heart that is at rest.
How can we keep a quiet heart in the midst of the
chaos of our world?
We must know who our God is. When we know our God -
His heart, His power, His love - no matter what is going on around us we
can be still.
George Muller lived this out. In the middle of
thick fog and raging waves, it would have been so easy to give way to
frustration or worry. Instead, his heart was at rest in his God. He knew who
his God was. He knew that God had ultimate control over every situation and so,
his heart was at rest.
Psalm xcl.1 says, “He who dwells in the secret
place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.”
The Greek word translated ‘abide’ in this passage
conveys the idea of stubbornness and obstinacy. We are to obstinately abide
under the shadow - the protection of our God - no matter what circumstances
come our way. Nothing should move us from that position of abiding, of trust in
God.
Do you have that?
I know that all too often, I don’t. Circumstances
easily overwhelm me and rob me of faith. I’m so quick to forget how great my
God is.
All too often the circumstances of my life set my
heart ablaze with worry. But our call as believers is to have the child-like
trust of George Muller that says, in every circumstance, “my eye is not on the
density of the fog- the horrible situation I am facing - but on the living God,
who controls every circumstance of my life.”
In Christ
Kaitlyn
As a child, Kaitlyn Donihue loved writing and
dreamed of becoming an author one day. Later, she gave her life radically to
the Lord and began to use her pen to encourage other believers to know and
serve Him. Although she writes about a variety of things, she especially loves
writing to those who, like herself, experienced the pain of an absent father
and encouraging them to find hope and healing in Jesus. To find more of her
writing, go to www.simplydevoted.org and subscribe!
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