(1 Peter 1:3-9) “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.”
(Malachi 3:3) “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify...and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness.”
The process of gold and silver refining is so interesting—a perfect depiction of the workmanship that is your life and mine. Take a moment and truly ponder on this, and how it relates to your life:
In the refining process, the smithy holds a piece of silver over the fire and heats it to a molten state. It is necessary to hold the metal for a time where the flames are the hottest, in order to draw the impurities to the surface. The smithy then strains out the impurities, leaving only PURE gold or silver. This process is referred to as "scraping the dross." He can then mold and shape the metal into the beautiful image He has in mind for the metal.
When in your life have you been held to the flames? In the midst of that heat, what impurities surfaced that needed to be scraped off?
Another crucial component in the process is this: the smithy must keep his eyes LOCKED on the gold or silver the entire time it is in the fire. If the silver is left even a moment too long in the flames, it will be damaged.
God keeps His eyes on us throughout EVERY moment of our suffering, not allowing us to suffer for one moment longer than necessary to refine and purify us.
How does the smithy know when the silver is fully refined? WHEN HE CAN SEE HIS REFLECTION IN IT.
(Rom. 8:29: "You are predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ.”) When God molds and shapes us through the refining fire, we become more beautiful than we could ever become on our own. Why? Because Christ can see His reflection in us.
The more refined the gold or silver is, the more VALUABLE it becomes. Is it any wonder why they’re called “precious metals”?
God is our refiner, and we are His precious metals, cleansed and purified through Christ Jesus to do good works that He prepared in advance for us to do. (Eph. 2:10)
God bless you as you seek His will through the refining fire.
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