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.
