Pictures of Silver

Proverbs 25 : 11 states, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.”

There’s a “word” that been circulating throughout “e-mail land” for several months.  I know we ALL get a bit weary of all the “forwards” that are so easily, & endlessly sent to us via the Internet.   But even though I’ve received and read this little e-mail more than once — just recently, it SPECIALLY touched my heart.   For this week’s blog, I’m hoping it will do the same for yours.   I’m sorry, I don’t know the author, nor do I know if the story is true.   It DOES, however, contain a very precious & encouraging message.

Malachi 3 : 3  – “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.”

This scriptural statement puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what it 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 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, the artisan needs to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames are hottest, so as to burn away all the impurities.   The woman thought about GOD, sometimes holding US in very “hot spots” —  then she thought again about the verse that had puzzled her and her Bible study-mates: “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.”

She then asked the silversmith if it were 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 also had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire.   He explained that if the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed, but if not left long enough, it would not be fully purified and refined.

The woman was silent for a moment as she pondered these facts, but then asked the silversmith, “How do you know when the silver is FULLY purified and refined?”   He smiled at her and answered, “Oh, that’s easy … for it is when I see my image & reflection in it.”

My Christian friend, — If today it seems you are feeling the heat of the fire, — please remember that the Divine Silversmith – [Our Loving GOD] –  has His all-seeing eye on you, and He will KEEP that tender eye on you, until He sees His Image .. in you!

24 Comments

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