THE SILVERSMITH
THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE STORIES THAT EXPLAINS WHY WE SUFFER.
- 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.
-author unknown
