when i was in school test day was my least favorite. it didn’t matter the subject, whether my favorite or not, test day was dreaded.
tests are not fun. in school or in life.
BUT
tests are necessary.
in school, they assess our knowledge of a subject. they help us and teachers see what we know and what we still have to learn.
in life, tests help shape us into the people we are. they form our stories. if life were always easy, the stories wouldn’t be so interesting. the outcome wouldn’t be so great.
it’s the passing of the test. the coming out the other side better than you started that makes for an epic story.
…
today, i came across a card i was given on my very first mission trip. before we left for nicaragua, hanna gave me cards to open everyday. i still find myself searching for these cards every once in a while when i need some encouragement. today was one of those days. this past week has been the hardest week for me since being accepted to the race. i found my cards and picked one at random, wednesday. in this card was a story, the refiner’s fire.
” He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver…” Malachai 3:3
The Refiner’s Fire
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 the refining fire, 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.”
if today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.
this week, i’ve felt the heat. it’s test day, i may not like it but God has his eye on me and i won’t burn too long. and i won’t be destroyed.
thank you, hanna b. for encouraging me with a little card even 7 years later!!!
