Bayith
~ Sweeter Than
Honey
Some time ago, a few ladies met in
a certain city to study the scriptures.
While reading the third chapter of Malachi, they came upon a remarkable
expression in the third verse: And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier
of silver (Malachi 3:3).
One lady proposed to visit a
silversmith, and report back to them on what he said about the subject. She went accordingly, and without telling
the object of her errand, begged the silversmith to tell her about the process
of refining silver.
After he had fully described it to
her, she asked, “But Sir, do you sit while the work of refining is going on?”
“Oh yes, madam,” replied the
silversmith; “I must sit with my eyes steadily fixed on the furnace, for if the
time necessary for refining be exceeding in the slightest degree, the silver
will be injured.”
The lady at once saw the beauty,
and comfort too, of the expression, He shall sit as a refiner and
purifier of silver.
God sees it needful to put His
children into a furnace; His eye is steadily intent on the work of purifying,
and His wisdom and love are both engaged in the best manner for us. Our trials do not come at random, and He
will not let us be tested beyond what we can endure.
Before she left, the lady asked
one final question, “When do you know the process is complete?”
“Why, that is quite simple,”
replied the silversmith. “When I can see my own image in the silver, the
refining process is finished.”
Author Unknown