A great answer for unanswered questions in life

[Powerstroke Racer]

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

[uga33]

That is really good!

[bones]

great post!!!

[duallyspeed]

i also feel that in a fire all the impure elements are burned away.sometimes when we are in some sort of a fire thats God melting away the things that hinder us from walking in fellowship with him.or things we really dont even need.

[Powerstroke Racer]

Originally Posted by duallyspeed

i also feel that in a fire all the impure elements are burned away.sometimes when we are in some sort of a fire thats God melting away the things that hinder us from walking in fellowship with him.or things we really dont even need.

Good point of view, I think sometimes we get sidetracked on what we think is important and God has to smack us upside the head to get our attention.

[FirstOnRaceDay]

Thank you! Great read. That was just what I needed.

[turboman1]

Wow thats a great story!

I would have to agree that sometimes I put my desires in front of God's and when I do that people do not see His image through me.

Thanks for sharing the story,
Adam M.

[chromedome1]

excellent!

[bsplyr500]

Wow. Thanks for posting this. After reading this, it makes so much more sense. I've gotten away from God and I'm trying to get back. I can probably say that I am definitely in the fire.

[Powerstroke Racer]

Originally Posted by bsplyr500

Wow. Thanks for posting this. After reading this, it makes so much more sense. I've gotten away from God and I'm trying to get back. I can probably say that I am definitely in the fire.

I think most of us are in the fire far more than we want to be but it is nice to know there is an answer as to why and how to get out of it.

[XLR8R]

Great post!

I used to work in a small foundry where we cast lead & aluminum, always having to scoop the dross off to reveal the "liquid mirror" - that's pretty much how I've always explained verses like that as well, such as Proverbs 27:21, 17:3 & 25:4.

Basically, a person's reputation is established in the mouths of others, God uses our hearts as the crucible for our actions, and He allows us to be stressed so that the bad stuff can be purged - when He can see himself in us, then He can make us into an ornament for His glory.

[4x4dually]

Last Thursday I think the Lord was holding the entire state of OK in the fire.....at least several thousand acres and almost 200 homes.

[XLR8R]

... and He purged over a 100,000 acres in west TX - blocked out the sun and we had ash covering the trucks like fine snow overnight.

Glad to not be in the fire this time!

[4x4dually]

Originally Posted by XLR8R

Glad to not be in the fire this time!

Amen Brotha, Amen. We only lost the south fence. Most of the wooden post burned up about a foot off the ground and what didn't burn, the rural FD trucks cut. Needless to say the ol' dodge was westbound about 105 mph when the wife said there were a dozen fire trucks coming down the road and she was trying to get the kids in the car. Daddy was a little concerned! Stupid neighbors decided to burn a 1/4 section in 25 mph wind. Retards I tell ya. After reading so much today about diesel for christ, I'll have to rethink of what I'm going to say to them next time I see them. I had it all planned out too.