The Silversmith
May 1, 2008
Malachi 3:3 says: He (God) shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver...
This verse puzzled a young man and he wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.
So, he went to a silversmith to find out the process of refining silver.
That week, the young man called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. He didn't mention anything about the reason for his interest beyond his curiosity about the process of refining Silver.
As he watched, the silversmith held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. The silversmith 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 young man thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then he thought again about the verse that says: 'He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.' The young man asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time.
The silversmith 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 young man was silent for a moment. Then he asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?"
The silversmith smiled at the young man 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.
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