He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver… Mal3.3 ESV
I had a particularly trying day yesterday. I usually do not bear such days in silence. I bitterly accused the Lord of unnecessarily giving me a hard time. I wake this morning to these words, pre-selected by the Holy Spirit as this days reading.
There is little doubt that God uses hardships to discipline us. And, I do not mean discipline in a punitive but instructive sense. God will try us as silver and gold is tried. Like one who sits over precious metal, God will turn up the heat so that the fire of trial will melt the impurities from us. The process ends when all the impurities have fallen from the silver and the refiner can look over and see His image reflected in the purified metal.
God would see Christ in each of us. A particularly trying day is the instrument of His tender care to remove from us all that does not reflect the image of His Son. As it turns out, my trials are most necessary! God’s speak pointedly, “I will turn my hand against you and will smelt away your dross.” Is.1.25 Praise to the One who loves us so.
Just me trying to be honest with God.
