| The Refiner |
Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and a
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 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 and 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 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.
Right now, this very moment, someone needs to
know that God is watching over them. And
whatever they are going through, they'll be a
better person in the end.
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 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 and 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 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.
Right now, this very moment, someone needs to
know that God is watching over them. And
whatever they are going through, they'll be a
better person in the end.
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