DEVOTIONAL - THE REFINER'S FIRE

[David Virtue]

DEVOTIONAL - THE REFINER'S FIRE

Malachi 3:2

A group of women were studying the book of Malachi. As they were
studying Chapter Three, they came across a verse 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 about 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
in silver 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, so 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 even 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, "When I see my image in it."

Isn't that amazing?

The author of this article is unknown.

END