Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and
purifier of silver."
This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what
this statement meant about the character and nature of
God. One of
the women offered to find out about the process of refining and
purifying
silver and get back to the group at their next Bible
Study.
That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to
watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about
the reason for
her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of
refining
silver.
As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the
fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining
silver, one
needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire
where the flames
were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The
woman thought
about God holding us in such a hot spot. Then she
thought again about
the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and
purifier of silver."
She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in
front of the fire the whole time the silver was being
refined.
The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the
silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the
entire time it
was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too
long in the
flames, it would be destroyed.
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, !
"How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled
at her
and answered, "Oh, that's easy - when I see my
image in it."
If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has
His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in
you.
"From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it."
Matthew 11:12
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