The Silversmith Story

[awais]

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, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the
fire where the flames were hottest 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 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 smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy -- when I
see my image in it"

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that
God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He
sees His image in you.


****************

Pass this on right now. This very moment, someone needs
to know that God is watching over them.

And, whatever they're going through, they'll be a better
person in the end.

"Life is a coin. You can spend it anyway you wish, but you can
only spend it once."

****************