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Tuesday, November 30, 2010

God The Silversmith

According to Wikipedia: "Silversmiths saw or cut specific shapes from sterling and fine silver sheet metal and bar stock, and then use hammers to form the metal over anvils and stakes. Silver is hammered cold (at room temperature). As the metal is hammered, bent, and worked, it 'work-hardens'. Annealing is the heat-treatment used to make the metal soft again. If metal is work-hardened, and not annealed occasionally, the metal will crack and weaken the work."

Sound familiar?...Remind you of Someone?...hmmm?

A friend of mine shared this story below with me and I absolutely loved it...I think sometimes when we are in the thick of the heat of life we need little reminders like this to help us on our journey.  Especially when the pang of the hammer comes and knocks us down; which we can see is an essential part of becoming a beautiful piece of silver to shine for the Lord. 



Malachi 3:3 says: 'He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.
"This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement 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, 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."

 Remember this if nothing else...

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will keep working in you until He sees His image in you.  Whatever you're going through, you'll be a better person in the end.  Trust in God.  He won't give you more than you can handle and rest assured that you are in good hands. God bless!

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