I copied this from another Blog, but I think it is an excellent story.
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."
I really like this story and I've heard it a million times but for some reason it just seemed relevant to me today so I wanted to share it. So if you find yourself in a spiritual desert just remember that there is a purpose and a plan for everything. God refines us until He can see His image in us. It can be a difficult process and sometimes the fire seems unbearable, but the end result will always be for His glory.
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1 comment:
Silversmith, Potter, Hydraulic Deluge Director...
It seems like everything God does to make us fit for his presence is painful, even life-threatening. It was for Jesus, and it is for us. But we just keep writing happy sentimental songs. Not me; not these days. Mine are all filled with fear and hope.
God is quite scary, and I only hope I can fear him rightly. I hope I am more afraid of NOT being placed in the flames of spiritual formation than I am of God's presence. I hope my fear of God is wrapped in terrifying reality of what it means to reject him. I fear his wrath, but I need his wrath; at least that full portion of it he poured out on his Son.
Being purified and shaped by God is a scary thing. Yet at the same time it is a joyous thing to know that he who sits enthroned in the heavens is personally sculpting and conforming us to the image of Christ.
If we are to bear the likeness of his glory, we must bear the likeness of his suffering. It is one of the Christians' highest privileges to share in the sufferings of Christ. It means we are counted worthy to do so, and we can have confidence that our trials will result in solidifying the genuineness of our faith, which is of more worth than gold. (2 Peter)
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