Refined

Hello again!

This morning, I found this devotion in my email inbox from Dale Meyer, former Lutheran Hour speaker and current president of Concordia Seminary. Perhaps it is one that you can relate to on a personal level. The Scriptures give us perspective to understand (at least in part) that God desires to use trials in our lives for our good, to refine us.

My friend Bill shared an e-mail about a woman who visited the shop of a silversmith.  The silversmith held a piece of silver over the fire, explaining that the silver had to be held in the very middle of the fire to burn away any impurities.  The woman, a Bible student, had thought of Malachi 3:3 God "will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

She asked the silversmith if he had to be there the whole time and he answered, yes.  He had to hold and keep his eye on the silver.  Otherwise the silver might be in the fire too long and be destroyed.

"How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" she asked.  "Oh, that's easy," he answered, "when I see my image in it."

That anonymous e-mail helps us understand tough days.  "The Lord watches over you" (Psalm 121:5).  And the refining of Christians will achieve its goal.  "He who has begun a good work in you will bring it to completion until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6).  On that day, fully refined, you'll see Him face to face (1 Corinthians 13:12).

How else can we understand this strange statement of James, "Consider it pure joy...whenever you face trials of many kinds?" (James 1:2).

God grant us patience and grace to undergo trials with faith and to welcome His refining work in our lives.