Refining Silver

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My "Embrace the Suck" post reminded me of an amazing story that I heard several years ago.  Maybe you've heard it, too.  I'm going to copy and paste the story here (as well as the link I used).  It uses the analogy of the process of refining silver to describe PERFECTLY how God refines us and the results of God's refinement.  The first time I heard it, my jaw just dropped to the floor and my eyes became as big as saucers.  It is so profound to me.  I hope it blesses you.

It is based on this Scripture (Malachi 3:2-4)

“But who can endure the day of His coming?
And who can stand when He appears?
For He is like a refiner’s fire
And like launderers’ soap.
3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;
He will purify the sons of Levi,
And purge them as gold and silver,
That they may offer to the Lord
An offering in righteousness.

4 “Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem
Will be pleasant to the Lord,
As in the days of old,
As in former years. ...

There was a group of women in a Bible Study on the book of Malachi. As they were studying chapter three, they came across verse three, which says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver. "This verse puzzled the women 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, this woman called up 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 "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.

Be blessed!

-Author Unknown

Here is the link where I got it from, but you can find it in many places on the internet. Silversmith Story

I researched the process of refining silver to verify the facts in this story and it seems to check out. Isn't it ASTONISHING?!?!  I am so in awe at how often we can see God's nature and character revealed even in the ordinary tasks of life.

So, know that today, maybe in the smallest, most insignificant way, God is refining you--and slowly, imperceptibly, you are becoming more like Him every day.  The proof is that when you reflect on who you were five years ago, you can see that God has refined you in various ways over that period of time.  BUT, day by day we don't notice it (At least, I don't.).  That is definitely one of the ways we glorify Him with our life!