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!
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!
