‘…A Refiner & Purifier Of Silver’ ~ Malachi 3:3
You can actually find this post in the midst of another post, ‘Stepping Into A New Life - The Battle Rages Still!’ but I thought it was “worthy” enough and “important” enough to have it’s very own entry (especially as I keep referring back to it and can’t find it!
A year ago I found the following in my emails as I was cleaning stuff up (it was sent ages and ages ago) by a friend who is not a Christian, who thought I might like it. I did. And when I found it again, I thought it applied more to our church and what we were going through as a church, than for me as an individual. But as things kept happening and crappola kept surfacing in my life and in my family I began to realise that this story and this scripture ‘He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.’ (Malachi 3:3) was for me. All this happened in the first half of last year (2006), by the second half of last year I’d forgotten all about it, but it came to mind again recently, in the last week or so! I love this story, have a read and enjoy. I hope it speaks to you in the way it spoke and still speaks to me.
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 about 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 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 looked at her and answered, “Oh, that’s easy - when I see my image in it.”
I am being refined. Tim is being refined. Our entire family is being refined. And it’s tough, it’s really, really tough and hot. We are being refined; we are being prepared. For what? No idea! Absolutely no idea!! But we know this to be the truth. God has plans for us, big plans. Plans we are not ready to fulfill because there’s still stuff in our life, major stuff that needs to be dealt with. And this stuff, this dross, all the baggage and issues, all the crappola can only come to the surface and be burnt away when we are held in the fire.
When I read this I am encouraged; there is a reason, a purpose for all the stuff that we have been going through and still are going through. We are being refined and purified so we can carry out God’s specific plans for our lives. It’s hard though and we are tired; tired and worn out. Being refined is really good though and I am ecstatic that I can look back on my life over the last almost two years and see how God has been working in me and in Tim and how much we have changed - especially in the last six months which have been soooo intense - but being refined is tiring, it’s hard and hot, very uncomfortable, painful and emotional, and I must admit, I’d dearly love for it to be over!
However, I don’t want to rush into the plans God has for us without being prepared either. I want to be as ready as I can be, we can be; I want to be refined and purified and able to do what God has called me to do, us to do. So I guess in that sense, if I’m not ready yet, we’re not ready yet, then I’m prepared to be held in fire again. Aaaaggghh! What am I saying?!!! Actually, I know what I am saying - God please help us to learn and apply all the lessons that you have been teaching us, really learn and really apply.
This post was first written November 2007, although all the stuff that it is referring to has been happening over the last couple of years, but it has intensified over the last 18 months, especially in the last 6 of those. I don’t know if that means the “end” is in sight or not. Hmmm. Anyway, it’s been another two months since I first wrote this post and we are still being tested and refined 
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