Saturday, February 11, 2012

Malachi 3:3

I came across this story recently and I haven't been able to get it out of my mind, so I thought I'd share it with you today. Maybe it will speak comfort to you as it did to me.

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"He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."
Malachi 3:3


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."


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Ian and I are definitely feeling the heat of the fire these days. Yet I find so much love and comfort in simply knowing and trusting that the Refiner and Purifier will not take His eyes off of us until He sees His image in us.

We continue to try to endure this season well. These are hard days indeed. There is more going on than what I have shared here on my blog, and we are getting very tired, very quickly.

Thank you so much to those of you that continue to pray for us. We appreciate it more than we could ever say.

Wishing you a beautiful day full of His blessings.

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2 comments:

  1. Kate
    I feel that maybe more than we know we are both in similar places right now. First I lost my job and now on Thursday my husband his. I can't even imagine why this is happening and I am so angry and frustrated with God. We were supposed to go as a family to visit my husband's parents this weekend and I backed out...staying home with my youngest daughter. I don't want to be around people who are all happy and hopeful b/c it makes me angry. Why them and not us. Oh I am so selfish and pityful! I know that God will never leave us...but right here, right now in the silence I feel abandoned. Sometimes we just don't want to be refined do we?

    I appreciate this post though and it does give me hope that even though we are here we are not alone. Doesn't make me like it any more, but it reminds me that I don't know the big picture.

    Please pray for us and the coming weeks. My husband has an interview tomorrow for a job 2 hours away. Which would mean another move, new schools selling what I thought was our dream home to raise our family in and downsizing BIG time. I am attached to the life I wanted for us here and I am mad we will likely be asked to give it all up.

    I just want to see God in this...know we are making the right choices and won't screw up our kids lives big time!

    Sorry for all the rambling...I guess I just needed to share that with someone I feel might understand better than I realize!

    Praying for you as well....

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  2. I LOVE YOU, friend!!!!! Praying for you and Ian as He is working in both of you...together. Oh, I just wish I could come "hang out" with you! Seriously! Know that I'm always here - no matter what.

    xoxo

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