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.
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.