BECOMING LIKE A CHILD
Taken from "George Meuller of Bristol" — Arthur T. Pierson — Page 43
[Read these inspiring words about a Godly man who ran the Ashley Down orphanage in Bristol, England for over 60 years in the 1800's — never asking for donations. He simply relied on God in prayer to fulfill their needs. He cared for 10,024 orphans in his life. He was well known for providing an education to the children under his care, to the point where he was accused of raising the poor above their natural station in life. He also established 117 schools which offered Christian education to over 120,000 children, many of them being orphans. He is one of the most inspiring examples of a man of faith and prayer in fairly recent times.]
With increasing frequency, earnestness and minuteness, was George Meuller led to put before God, in prayers, all matters that lay upon his mind, This man was to be peculiarly an example to believers as an intercessor and so God gave him from the onset a very simple, childlike disposition toward Himself. In many things he was in knowledge, and strength to out grow childhood and become a man, for it marks immaturity when we err through ignorance and are overcome through weakness. [ In other words, we are to become childlike but never childish. — Editor ]
But in faith and in filial spirit [ a spirit befitting a son or daughter]; he always continued to be a little child. Mr. J. Hudson well reminds us that while in nature the normal order of growth is from childhood to manhood and so to maturity, in grace the true development is perpetually backward toward the cradle; we must become and continue as little children, not losing, but rather gaining childlikeness of spirit. This disciples maturest manhood is only the perfection of his childhood. George Meuller was never so really, truly, fully a little child in all his relations to his Father, as when in the ninety-third year of his age.
