silversmith

Malachi 3:3 says: 'And he shall 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 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.

Pass this on right now. This very moment, someone
needs to know that God is watching over them.

And, whatever they're going through, they'll be a better
person in the end..