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Sunday 5 August 2018

VESSEL UNTO HONOUR



A group of women were in a bible study on the book of Malachi, as they were studying chapter three which says ‘He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver’. This verse puzzled the women 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 up a silver smith 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 ‘He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver’. She asked the silver smith 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 saying, 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 an 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 eyes on you and will keep watching you until he sees His image in it (copied from face book).


The above story brings to mind Jeremiah 18vs 1-6 that talks about the potter and the clay. 

 King James Version

  18:1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,18:2 Arise, and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words.18:3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.18:4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.18:5 Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,18:6 O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the LORD. Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.


Is that not what God the refiner and the potter does a lot of times passing us through situations to refine us and yet we keep wondering what is going on .Sometimes God keeps passing us through situations like the refiner will do to the silver or the potter will do to the clay to refine or mould us. We keep wondering what the problem is without understanding that the refiner is trying to teach you something and make you a better person, and to present you as a proud bride to her groom.


A lot of times God tries to change us through a crisis. God changed Jacob’s name which means deceiver to Israel which means prince with God and the change in Jacob’s life didn’t come easily because he wrestled all night. God will let us wrestle with an issue you cannot resolve or keep passing you through the fire to get your attention, until you get to the point where you concede to His will and the potter is satisfied with the object he has made from the clay.

A lot of times we keep wondering if God is really doing this to us like the mother eagle who withholds food from her children to persuade them to leave the nest and learn how to fly. You see the refiner knows you wouldn’t change until your fear of change is surpassed by the pain you are experiencing, until the Lord makes us more and more like him as we are changed into His glorious image. When the  potter realizes that we are committed and persistent to change he is willing to make us what he wants us to be especially when the potter sees our hearts sincerely, that we no longer want our will but His will.




One thing for a fact is that we didn’t get into that situation overnight and we are not going to be out of it overnight. Many times God has to deal with our weakness and that situation in our lives layer by layer so he keeps molding us at the slightest sign of a dent until we appear like the finished work He wants us to be.You see the potter wants to get us to a point where we honestly face and admit our faults, sins, weaknesses and mistakes. Because God loves you the way you are but He loves you much more to leave you that way.


Jeremiah 29 vs 11 says 

Amplified Bible 

11For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.

 King James Version
29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 


Until our next post remain rapturable.

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