A Masterpiece .
Proverbs 17:3

3. The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tries hearts.

Ah, yes. . . Short and sweet--that’s the wisdom of Proverbs. And so very true! Blazing hot coals of fire are used to heat silver to the melting point so it can be shaped into jewelry, or whatever else is desired. It must be so hot it changes shape by causing a chemical reaction in the ore. As it heats all the impurities rise to the top and must be scraped off. Then the silver is heated again, and again the dross (impurities) are scraped away. And on and on until the silversmith sees his reflection in the liquid silver.

Sounds kind of like the way God shapes and reshapes us doesn’t it? I used to dread that “refiner’s fire!” Not that I especially enjoy going through painful experiences! But I have surprised myself lately in how I have been able to deal with some of the latest challenges in my life. And that is so only because of God’s most amazing grace. He scrapes away and melts down over and over again the places in me that don’t reflect Him.

Yes, the Lord tries hearts. He does it because He loves us so very deeply and with such passion that He wants us to be like Him. So we can be with him in heaven. He wants to draw us to Himself. And the only way that can happen is to be tested in the furnace of life. I don’t go running into the fire, though. I try to avoid it at all costs! But eventually I am led there, as we all are. When were in the hottest part of the fire, we need to remember that it gets better from there. The result of the refiner’s work is a masterpiece!

I hope today that you endure whatever refining God may be doing in your life with grace. And that you remember the best is yet to come.

Mary  ¶ 7:18 AM