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 the process of refining 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!
This very moment, someone needs to know that God is watching over
them.
And, whatever they're going through, they'll be a better person in the
end because HE will not leave them in the situation for too long to be destroyed
by the fires of this world.
You are refined!