Malachi 3:3
This candle lamp gave out a curious pattern in the dark, and it reminded me of how the Lord refines and shapes us...and the light that brings out the beauty in us all as well.
Malachi 3:3 says:
"He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."
Silver is a very ductile and malleable (slightly harder than gold) metal with a brilliant white metallic luster that can take a high degree of polish. It has the highest electrical conductivity of all metals, even higher than copper, but at greater cost and tarnishability .
Among metals, pure silver has the highest thermal conductivity, whitest color, the highest optical reflectivity. Silver also has the lowest contact resistance of any metal. Silver halides are photosensitive and are remarkable for their ability to record a latent image that can later be developed chemically. [that's for fellow Flicker fans] Silver is stable in pure air and water, but tarnishes when it is exposed to air or water [contaminated] containing ozone or hydrogen sulfide. [edited from Wikipedia]
back to Malachi....and the lesson from His Word, i received in the mail just today..
Malachi 3:3 says:
"He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."
This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.
One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.
That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest 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 says:
"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 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."
Malachi 3:3
This candle lamp gave out a curious pattern in the dark, and it reminded me of how the Lord refines and shapes us...and the light that brings out the beauty in us all as well.
Malachi 3:3 says:
"He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."
Silver is a very ductile and malleable (slightly harder than gold) metal with a brilliant white metallic luster that can take a high degree of polish. It has the highest electrical conductivity of all metals, even higher than copper, but at greater cost and tarnishability .
Among metals, pure silver has the highest thermal conductivity, whitest color, the highest optical reflectivity. Silver also has the lowest contact resistance of any metal. Silver halides are photosensitive and are remarkable for their ability to record a latent image that can later be developed chemically. [that's for fellow Flicker fans] Silver is stable in pure air and water, but tarnishes when it is exposed to air or water [contaminated] containing ozone or hydrogen sulfide. [edited from Wikipedia]
back to Malachi....and the lesson from His Word, i received in the mail just today..
Malachi 3:3 says:
"He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."
This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.
One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.
That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest 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 says:
"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 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."