Today’s story was sent to us by a special friend, Jeanelle Sims. We came to know and love Jeanelle, and her husband, James, through our association and friendship at Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas. They both love the Lord and sent this as an email to share with us. The story teaches how much the Lord loves each of us and wants us to be “HIS”, refining us along our life’s journey as we strive to be more and more like Him.

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There was once a group of women studying the book of Malachi in the Old Testament. While reading the third chapter of Malachi they came upon a remarkable expression in the third verse: “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 lady's opinion was that is was intended to convey the view of the sanctifying influence of the grace of Christ. She offered to find out about the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible study.

That week she called up 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 so 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 “Yes”.

Note: When silver is white hot, the impurities known as dross, float to the top. After the dross is skimmed off, what is left is pure silver.

He then explained that 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 damaged.

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 this world’s fire, just remember that God the Father has His eyes on you.

- Author Unknown

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He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; Malachi 3:3 NKJV

“Don’t wipe away your tears, look through them. Sometimes tears have a way of bringing clarity.” — Unknown

“Tears come from the heart and not from the brain.” — Leonardo da Vinci

God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.—Rev. 21:4.

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If you have a story that you think might bless others, I invite you to send it by email to me (Kenneth Kersey) at godsotherways@me.com.

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