The Process of Refining

Many of you have probably read the story below but just for the sake of this blog.....humor me.

There was a group of women in a Bible study on the book of Malachi. As they were studying chapter three, they came across verse three which says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." (Malachi 3:3) This verse puzzled the women and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.

One of the women offered to find out about the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible study. That week this woman called up a silver smith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest in silver beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silver smith, 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 he sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.




She asked the silver smith 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 even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silver smith, "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."

 
I love this story.  Since the first telling of it that I heard it has come to my mind many times during trials or adversity.  When I first heard the story, I cried.  Tears of joy that the Lord knows me, sits and watches over me during my afflictions.  Other times I have thought of this story I have been a little fearful that the fires might one day be more than I could bear.
 
It is this second part that I want to address.
 
Do you ever have dreams that should be scary but aren't?  I do.  Alot!  Last night I had such a dream.  I was driving along in my car going to get groceries, I believe.  The road was stretched out before me, beautiful blue skies ahead.  When, not too long into my dream storm clouds started to gather in the distance.  The wind picked up with a fury, tree branches blowing by, debree circling my car.  But, I was intent on my purpose!  I was going to make it to town to get those groceries!!  Driving down the road there were many obstacles that I had to swerve around. Many times I  cried out in my heart to my Heavenly Father for safe passage.  Further down the road I had to cross a broken bridge.  The bridge wasn't just any bridge, it was a floating bridge like the one outside of Seattle.  So here in front of me was a broken, floating bridge.  I didn't want to pass over this bridge but my car wouldn't let me stay put, and propelled me forward.  As I'm driving over the bridge the section of the bridge in front of me started to heave skyward.  Now my prayers weren't silent, they were uttered aloud and with great conviction.  I thought to myself how strange it was that I was praying so vocally in  such a public sitiation, (there seemed to be other people who could hear) since most of my prayers happen in my heart except those done in private.  As soon as the prayer was uttered aloud the road ceased to shift, and move, and allowed me to travel safely over. 
 
I don't know why I share this dream, except that I take many of my dreams seriously.  So many have come to pass.  Most of the time I don't have the understanding of my dream until after the fact and I can look back and say "ooooohhhhh!"
 
In my dream I was faced with great upheaval but called upon the Lord and was delivered.
 
About a week ago, Braden and I were looking through the Gospel Art Kit and discussing the pictures we were looking at.  We came across the picture of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and the fiery furnace. Braden wanted me to tell him about it.  As we talked about this picture, the story of the refiners fire came back to me.  The fire that a small part of me feared having to endure was given a new perspective.  Because in the picture there were not three men in the fiery furnace but four !  In Daniel chapter 3 versus 24 and 25  King Nebachadnezzar points out Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire.....Lo I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."
 
The Savior was with them. 
 
I had never tied the two together before.
 
We each much pass through the fires of affliction, the refiners fire, but as the Lord shows with Shadrach Meshach and Abednego, He will be in the fire next to us if we let Him.
 
The Master whom we serve can bring us out of our own personal fires unsinged, better for the experience but unharmed.
 
May we invite Him into our lives to do so.