Ministry and Care

The following message was presented by Jasmine S at a Year 8-9 chapel recently.

Once upon a time, a group of people were studying the book of Malachi in the Old Testament. As they were studying chapter three, they came to the third verse, which says: “The Lord will act like a refiner and purifier of silver.” This verse puzzled the group.  They wondered what the statement meant. One of the group members offered to find out about the process of refining silver and report back to the group at their next Bible study.

So during the following week she called up a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him 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, it was vital to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest.  “The hottest part of the flame ensures all the impurities are burnt away,” he said. 

She thought about how we all experience ‘hot spots’ and about the Bible verse that says the Lord is like a refiner and purifier of silver. Then she asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time while the silver was being refined.

The man answered “Yes”, and explained that he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on it for the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be damaged.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?”

He smiled and answered, “Oh, that’s easy. When I see my image in it.”

If you are feeling the heat today, remember that God uses trying circumstances to refine you.  God uses challenging times to conform us to the image of his Son (Romans 8:29).