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03-13-2008, 12:14 PM
The Refiner
(Malachi 3 : 3)
"He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study group and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.
One woman offered to find out the process
of refining silver and get back to the group. That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work.
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 so that
all the impurities could be burnt away.
The woman thought about God holding us
in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse in Malachi 3 : 3 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.
Growth Is A Product of Suffering.
When things are going smoothly in life, you
believe that God is good. But if life takes a
bad turn and something awful happens, you
might ask, “How could a good God allow this?”
No doubt a painful situation comes to mind
now from either your past or the present.
You may wonder how a God of love could
have allowed some devastating injustice.
I would bet on the fact that you’ve not yet
come full circle. There will be a day when you
will look back and see how God’s sovereign
hand was at work. He is in the center of the
situation that troubles your heart right now.
He’s right in the middle of it. He's watching
you carefully, refining you, working all things
together for good, 'til He sees His image in you.
The Refiner
Today I walked a lonely road
Life's troubles on my mind,
I looked for a friend to confide in
But no one could I find.
My burdens felt so heavy,
My heart was full of sorrow.
I felt God had deserted me,
How could I face tomorrow.
The intense burning within me,
Just would not pass away;
"What have I done to deserve this?"
Is all that I could say.
I looked through tears of grief,
From thoughts so dark & grim;
I was no longer here alone,
I saw the face of Him.
He sat there so patiently,
His eyes never leaving me.
What was He looking for?
What did He want to see?
I asked Him to forgive me
For my life I'd lived in vain;
My sinful way of living,
Hadn't brought me any gain.
He gently lifted me up to Him,
Held me in His line of sight;
"Now I see My image in you,
You're going to be alright!"
(By Doreen Hardie)
(Malachi 3 : 3)
"He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study group and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.
One woman offered to find out the process
of refining silver and get back to the group. That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work.
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 so that
all the impurities could be burnt away.
The woman thought about God holding us
in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse in Malachi 3 : 3 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.
Growth Is A Product of Suffering.
When things are going smoothly in life, you
believe that God is good. But if life takes a
bad turn and something awful happens, you
might ask, “How could a good God allow this?”
No doubt a painful situation comes to mind
now from either your past or the present.
You may wonder how a God of love could
have allowed some devastating injustice.
I would bet on the fact that you’ve not yet
come full circle. There will be a day when you
will look back and see how God’s sovereign
hand was at work. He is in the center of the
situation that troubles your heart right now.
He’s right in the middle of it. He's watching
you carefully, refining you, working all things
together for good, 'til He sees His image in you.
The Refiner
Today I walked a lonely road
Life's troubles on my mind,
I looked for a friend to confide in
But no one could I find.
My burdens felt so heavy,
My heart was full of sorrow.
I felt God had deserted me,
How could I face tomorrow.
The intense burning within me,
Just would not pass away;
"What have I done to deserve this?"
Is all that I could say.
I looked through tears of grief,
From thoughts so dark & grim;
I was no longer here alone,
I saw the face of Him.
He sat there so patiently,
His eyes never leaving me.
What was He looking for?
What did He want to see?
I asked Him to forgive me
For my life I'd lived in vain;
My sinful way of living,
Hadn't brought me any gain.
He gently lifted me up to Him,
Held me in His line of sight;
"Now I see My image in you,
You're going to be alright!"
(By Doreen Hardie)