“He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver…”
11/07/2008 01:55:00 PM Edit This 2 Comments »
I love the following story. The first time I heard it I lived in Mississippi and I was having a very hard time with some things going on in my life. If you knew me back then, then I'm sure you can figure out what, or rather who, I was struggling with. I was also struggling with the fact that for the first time in my life I was living totally surrendered to God's will but could NOT for the life of me understand WHY I was going through this MESS when I was living surrendered as I was....and then I read this story. It's been a while since I read it and my wonderful friend Elizabeth e-mailed it to me a few weeks back. I thought it worth sharing, because it's very comforting to me when I get to feeling down and out that He is shining me up...
"Some time ago, a few ladies met in a certain city to read the scriptures, and make them the subject of conversation. While reading the third chapter of Malachi they came upon a remarkable expression in the third verse: “And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.”
One lady’s opinion was that is was intended to convey the view of the sanctifying influence of the grace of Christ. Then she proposed to visit a silversmith and report to them what he said on the subject. She went accordingly and without telling the object of her errand, begged to know the process of refining silver, which he fully described to her. “But sir,” she said, “do you sit while the work of refining is going on?” “Oh, yes, madam,” replied the silversmith; “I must sit with my eye steadily fixed on the furnace, for if the time necessary for refining be exceeded in the slightest degree, the silver will be injured.”
The lady at once saw the beauty, and comfort too, of the expression, “He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.” Christ sees it needful to put His children into a furnace; His eye is steadily intent on the work of purifying, and His wisdom and love are both engaged in the best manner for them. Their trials do not come at random, and they are only as intense and last only as long as is necessary for the refining process.
As the lady was preparing to leave the shop, the silversmith concluded by saying that he knows the process of purifying is complete when he can see his own image reflected in the silver. What a beautiful example! When Christ sees His own image in His people, His work of purifying is accomplished."
Have a wonderful weekend, all!
"Some time ago, a few ladies met in a certain city to read the scriptures, and make them the subject of conversation. While reading the third chapter of Malachi they came upon a remarkable expression in the third verse: “And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.”
One lady’s opinion was that is was intended to convey the view of the sanctifying influence of the grace of Christ. Then she proposed to visit a silversmith and report to them what he said on the subject. She went accordingly and without telling the object of her errand, begged to know the process of refining silver, which he fully described to her. “But sir,” she said, “do you sit while the work of refining is going on?” “Oh, yes, madam,” replied the silversmith; “I must sit with my eye steadily fixed on the furnace, for if the time necessary for refining be exceeded in the slightest degree, the silver will be injured.”
The lady at once saw the beauty, and comfort too, of the expression, “He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.” Christ sees it needful to put His children into a furnace; His eye is steadily intent on the work of purifying, and His wisdom and love are both engaged in the best manner for them. Their trials do not come at random, and they are only as intense and last only as long as is necessary for the refining process.
As the lady was preparing to leave the shop, the silversmith concluded by saying that he knows the process of purifying is complete when he can see his own image reflected in the silver. What a beautiful example! When Christ sees His own image in His people, His work of purifying is accomplished."
Have a wonderful weekend, all!
2 comments:
I still love that story. Reading it helps me to trust God, knowing that "trials do not come at random, and they are only as intense and last only as long as is necessary for the refining process." That is reassuring!
What an amazing story! Thank you, Catrina. If you don't mind, I am going to use it for a course I am teaching on the similarities between alchemy (the precusor to modern chemistry) and personality development.
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