The Coin in the Shoe

“All of us, like sheep, have wandered away.” — from Isaiah 53

Would you believe that the man who cared for thousands of orphans was a thief when he was a boy? It’s true. His name was George Müller, and when he was young he was not good at all.

George liked to take money that wasn’t his. One day his father wanted to find out if George had been stealing. So he counted out some money, left it in the room, and went away, to see if any would go missing.

George was left alone with the money. And what did he do? He took some — and hid a coin under his foot, inside his shoe! But when his father came back and counted, the money was gone. They searched George, and there was the coin, hiding in his shoe.

George didn’t stop there. As he grew older he told lies, and spent money he didn’t have, until one day, when he was sixteen, he was even put in prison for a while.

Now, why does his true story start with all the wrong things he did? Because it makes the rest so wonderful. God was not finished with George. God can take a boy who lies and steals and change him completely — and one day use him to help more children than George could count.

So if you have done wrong things, don’t ever think you are too bad for God. Nobody is. God loves to change hearts.

Dear God, thank you that you can change anyone, even me. Please make my heart good and clean. Amen.