" So we do not give up. Our physical body is becoming older and weaker, but our spirit inside us is made new every day." -2 Corinthians 4:16
Last month we took one day to dig deeper into scripture to see what the Lord is teaching us. Today we are going to again look at a verse and dig a little deeper. Malachi 3:3, " He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver..."
To purify means to clean, to get rid of impurities. Being born into this world we all have the impurity of sin in us. But we know the Lord in pure, 1 John 3:3, and we know the Lord is coming to take us home. But how do we, with all our impurities, belong with a God who is pure? We must go through purification.
Malachi uses the example of purification of gold by a silver smith. To purify silver or gold the silver smith holds a piece of silver in the center of the flames where it is the hottest. The heat is meant to burn out the impurities. But the silver smith just doesn’t set the silver in the fire and walk away. He must stay there the entire time the silver is in the fire keeping an eye on it. If the silver is left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. A silver smith was once asked, “How do you know when it is refined?” The answer, “When I see my image in it.”
What a powerful illustration we find in Malachi. God is our silver smith and we are the silver in need of refinement. We will be put through some hot fires in our trials we face. There will be struggles and we will feel the hot seat at times. But, like the silver smith, God sits with us through those times never taking His eyes off us so we won’t be destroyed. And the best part. How do we know we are refined? When God can see His image in us.
What an exciting thought. With each trial, each “fire” we face our character is being more and more purified to become like Jesus and so when He returns, we will be ready for Heaven. The purifying process will result in glory and praise for us.
God wants us to become like Jesus, but it involves going through the fire to become pure. Though it may be painful and unpleasant, we have the promise that just like silver and gold, God’s glory will shine through us.
So, as you go through your days and face any trials with finances, health, family, work or anything, remember your Refiner is sitting by your side never taking His eyes off you. God’s got you today and always.
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