Tuesdays with Tiz

Refining silver...refining Tiz

"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 with 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 to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought about the verse that says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifer of silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time. He 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 and 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!!! (yes, I have typed myself into the Glory Zone again)

Friends, if today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has you in His hand and His eye is on you and He will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

(this article was shared with me by one of the Princesses in my Sunday School class by way of email)