Refiner of Silver

Several were out sick or serving elsewhere today but we still had a good number for one of the Lord's "Little Flocks." My Sunday school Lesson was on "The Hour of Temptation' and the Morning Sermon was on "The Rational and Irrational Will of God." I taught in the afternoon service on "The Christian and Civil Government." CLICK HERE


Mal 3:3 And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. (KJV)

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.'

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.

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


'Life is a coin. You can spend it anyway you wish, but you can only
spend it once.