There was a group of women in a Bible study of 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 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 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, "Oh, that's easy - - when I see my image in it."

-- Uncle Jake (lulafred@cs.com), October 05, 2001

Answers

that just literally gave me cold chills! In a good way. We will all have trials and tribulations in this world, some things we just won't be able to change, but the one who makes it through the refinement will gain the prize of everlasting life with our Lord an dSaviour. Keep your eye on the prize friends.

-- Melissa (cmnorris@1st.net), October 05, 2001.

Isn't it wonderful that our Loving Father in heaven gave us earthly examples of spiritual truths so that we could come to understand them? What a wonderful promise...

He will never give us more than we can handle with Him and the whole time he is watching over us and holding us up so that we do not fail.

-- Stephanie Nosacek (possumliving@go.com), October 06, 2001.

Love how the silver smith explain how purifing silver works,isn't this our prayer that people will see Jesus through us. That's what I want in my life.

-- Jo (farmerjo@kvalley.com), October 07, 2001.