Malachi 3:3 says: "He will 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 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.