There was a group of women in a Bible
study on the book of Malachi. As they were studying
chapter three, they came across verse 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
about the process of refining silver and get back to
the group at their next Bible study.

That week this woman called up a
silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at
work. She didn't mention anything about the reason
for her interest in silver 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 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 even 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.