THE PROCESS

There was a group of women in a Bible study on the book of Malachi.

As they were studying chapter three, they came across…..
Malachi 3:2-3 (New International Version)
2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For He will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men, who will bring offerings in righteousness,
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 silversmith 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 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 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 even 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."

One of the things I have realized in life is that the Lord is more interested in who am becoming than how comfortable am. We all want to be vessels of honor that have been purified so that the Lord can use us for His glory. The problem we have is that many of us want the end product but we are not willing to go through the process. One of the things I love about this illustration is the God never takes His eyes of me through the whole process of purification. We must all get to the place where we can say like John the Baptist in

John 3:30
He must increase, but I must decrease.

Only then will He be able to see His reflection in your life making you a vessel of honor one that has been purified through the fire. There are no shortcuts; we all have to go through the fire to be purified so that He can use us

PRACTICAL APPLICATION
Allow God to take you through the fire and remember He has His eyes on you. Be still until He can see His reflection in your life. You are in safe hands.

THROUGH THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR
TODAYS READING

2 CHRONICLES 23-24
PSALM 19
MATTHEW 26



James Okumu|
HOPE FM | NPC Valley Road