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Malachi
3:3
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.
Pass this on right now. 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.
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