There is a cute card out by the famous old lady, Maxine that says: “Don’t believe everything you think!” These are wise words for all of us. Our perception during times of trial is that God is punishing us, or vacated our lives or simply not the loving and attentive God we read about in the scriptures. Here is an analogy that you may have seen before, but I think it is worth remembering and keeping before us in our daily walk with Christ:
Malachi 3:3 “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.” Perhaps we don’t believe this or perceive its truthfulness because we haven’t defined the job of a silversmith. A silversmith holds a piece of silver over the fire and lets it heat up. The silver must be held in the middle of the fire where the heat is the hottest and most intense in order to burn away all the impurities.
Furthermore, the silversmith will not leave a piece in the fire and take care of other tasks. He sits as a refiner and purifier of that piece of silver. Not only does he sit there with the silver, but he never takes his eyes off of it. You see, if he leaves it in the fire a moment too long, it would be destroyed and of no use.
How does the silversmith know when the silver is fully refined? When he can see his image in it.
At any time you are feeling the heat of the fire and perceive that God has abandoned you or is punishing, remember that God is holding you, keeping a ready eye on you in order to refine and purify you in His image. How do we know if we are succeeding in our walk with Christ? No matter our struggles or pain, others will see the image of Christ in us. And He has promised that He will not hold us in that fire unto destruction, but only for our good and for increase in our spirit. If we remember this scripture, then perhaps our thinking will be clear and unlike Maxine, we CAN believe what we think!
Seeing His Image in You,
Sharron Drury
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