On the 6th of February 1870 Mary Mueller, the wife of George Mueller, died. This was a huge loss for George, who loved his wife deeply. In the sermon he preached at her funeral he said these words: "With every year our happiness increased more and more. I never saw my beloved wife at any time...without being delighted so to do." When she was diagnosed with the illness that would kill her he speaks of how his "heart was nigh to be broken on account of the depth of my affection". He loved Mary deeply.
What then was it that sustained him through such a devastating loss? He speaks of how he strengthened himself in that time in these words:
The last portion of scripture which I read to my precious wife was this: “The Lord God is a sun and shield, the Lord will give grace and glory, no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” Now, if we have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, we have received grace, we are partakers of grace, and to all such he will give glory also. I said to myself, with regard to the latter part, “no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly”—I am in myself a poor worthless sinner, but I have been saved by the blood of Christ; and I do not live in sin, I walk uprightly before God. Therefore, if it is really good for me, my darling wife will be raised up again; sick as she is. God will restore her again. But if she is not restored again, then it would not be a good thing for me. And so my heart was at rest. I was satisfied with God. And all this springs, as I have often said before, from taking God at his word, believing what he says.
All of this sprung from taking God at His word, from holding fast to what God has said in Scripture. Because he did this He knew that God is completely sovereign over all things, and whatever He does, He does it for the good of His people. Therefore, He was able to say "I was satisfied with God".
Extract taken from: George Mueller, A Narrative of Some of the Lord's Dealing with George Muller, Written by Himself, Jehovah Magnified. Addresses by George Muller Complete and Unabridged, 2 vols. (Muskegon, Mich.: Dust and Ashes, 2003), 2:745.
