Let no one profess to trust in God, and yet lay up for future

Listen closely, O children of wisdom, to the words of George Muller, a man whose life was marked by profound faith and a deep understanding of trust in the divine: "Let no one profess to trust in God, and yet lay up for future wants, otherwise the Lord will first send him to the hoard he has amassed, before He can answer the prayer for more." These words are a call to examine the very foundation of faith, the deep trust that lies at the heart of the believer’s relationship with the Divine. Muller understood that true faith requires a surrender of self-reliance, an abandonment of the hoards we accumulate out of fear or insecurity. The lesson here is clear: trust in God means releasing the need to control the future, allowing the divine to provide as it sees fit, rather than clinging to the false security of material wealth.

In the ancient world, the Greeks understood that faith—the kind of deep trust Muller speaks of—required not just belief, but action. The philosopher Diogenes lived his life as a wandering ascetic, depending on nothing but what the gods provided him in the moment. Diogenes did not believe in hoarding wealth or storing up provisions for the future. He understood that true freedom came not from accumulating material goods, but from placing his trust fully in the hands of the divine. For Diogenes, and for the great philosophers of his time, the faith that Muller speaks of was not something to be professed with words alone but lived in each action, in each moment of surrender to the Divine Will.

Similarly, the Romans had a deeply ingrained sense of the importance of trust in the gods. In their religious practices, they often prayed for guidance and provision, but they also understood that wealth and security were fleeting, and that the true wealth was found in the alignment of the soul with the divine order. The Roman philosopher Seneca wrote about the dangers of clinging to material possessions, and the freedom that comes from recognizing that peace of mind and contentment do not come from the accumulation of wealth, but from the cultivation of virtue and trust in the gods. His teachings echoed the wisdom of Muller—that one’s security must not be found in hoarding resources, but in faith and surrender to a higher purpose.

Consider the life of George Muller himself, a man whose faith was tested time and again as he founded orphanages in Bristol, England. Muller lived without a salary, trusting that God would provide for the needs of the children in his care. He amassed no fortune for himself, but instead relied on prayer and faith alone to meet each day's needs. There was no security in material wealth for Muller—he trusted that if God had led him to this work, God would provide for it. And time and time again, his prayers were answered in miraculous ways. Muller’s life is a living testament to the principle that trust in God means not accumulating riches, but surrendering the need for control over one’s future, placing all faith in the divine provision.

The lesson that Muller imparts is profound: when we hoard and accumulate, we place our trust not in God, but in our own ability to control our future. We fall into the trap of believing that the more we have, the more secure we will be. But in doing so, we forget that true security comes not from what we have in our storehouses, but from the trust we place in the Divine. Muller warns that if we profess faith in God, we must not rely on our material wealth to answer our prayers. Instead, we must surrender to God’s will, trust in His provision, and learn to live in the present moment, without fear of what the future holds.

The ancient wisdom of the Hebrews offers a powerful example of this principle. The story of the Israelites in the wilderness, as told in the Book of Exodus, shows how God provided for His people with manna from heaven—just enough for each day. God instructed them not to store up the manna, for it would spoil. The Israelites were required to trust each day that God would provide what they needed, in His time and in His way. This is the essence of what Muller teaches: true faith means trusting that God’s provision will come when and how it is needed, and releasing the need to hold onto the things we think we need for the future.

So, O children of wisdom, the lesson is clear: true trust in God requires a surrender of our desire to hoard and control. Whether it is wealth, status, or material security, these things cannot be our foundation. Instead, we must place our trust in the Divine, knowing that what we need will be provided in God’s time. Just as Muller lived a life of faith and surrender, so must we learn to live with open hands, ready to receive what is given and release what we do not need. In doing so, we find the peace that comes from trusting in the divine provision rather than the hoards we accumulate for ourselves.

In your own life, let Muller’s wisdom guide you: do not place your trust in the things you store up, but in the faith that God will provide. Learn to live in the present moment, trusting that each day brings what you need. Release the need to control the future, and instead, place your trust in the Divine provision that has always been there, waiting for you to receive it. When you do, you will find the peace and joy that comes from true faith, and the security that no amount of material wealth could ever provide.