Malachi 3:3 says, “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.”
This verse on the refiner’s fire puzzled some of us women at a Bible study. We wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One woman offered to find out the process of refining silver to see if it gave meaning to our puzzlement and would get back to our group at our next Bible study.
When Scripture speaks to us and we do not understand its message, we must search to find the answer. And that is exactly what one woman did.
That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She did not mention anything about the reason for her interest, beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. She watched the silversmith as he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needs to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames are the hottest to burn away all the impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot, and thought again about the verse that says, “He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.”
“Is it true that the refiner must sit there in front of the fire the entire time the silver is being refined?” she asked.
“Yes,” the silversmith answered. “Not only does he have to sit there holding the silver, but he has to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it is in the fire. You, see, if the silver is left a minute too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.”
The woman was silent for a moment. Then, she asked the man, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?”
He smiled at her and answered, “When I see my image in it.”
The woman reported back to our Bible study with the silversmith’s explanation. We understood the spiritual implication clearly – God refines us to be pure at heart. He hold us. He controls the fire. He keeps His eyes on us the entire time so as not to destroy us. He skims off all the impurities. He sees His reflection in our hearts.
Today, if you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you – not to destroy you, but to bring purity to your heart. He will keep watching you until He sees His image in you. And He will be smiling upon you.