A women's group was studying the book of Malachi. When they came to the third chapter, they noticed that verse three which says:

 "God will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

The women wondered what this statement meant, in regard to the character and nature of God. One of them offered to check out the process of refining silver, and get back to the group at the next meeting. She called a silversmith, making an appointment to watch him at work, not mentioning the reason for her interest in silversmithing, beyond her curiosity about the process.

As she watched him work, he held a piece of silver over the fire, allowing it to become hot. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire, where the flames were most hot, so 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 says 'He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver'.

She asked the silversmith if it were so, that he had to sit in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered yes, that 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".

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you, and won't keep you in the heat even a moment too long, and will know just when He sees His image in you.