Morning Devotion and Prayer Request

Malachi 3:3 says; 'He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.'

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 refining silver, 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 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.

Thanks, Deb, for sending this to me this morning. I read this right after receiving an email from Cheryl :

"As you know, we are leaving in less than 3 hrs. for the airport and my mother just called and has called an ambulance to take my Dad to the hospital. He has had this chest/head cold for a week now and has been to the Dr. twice for medicine and even got a shot on Thursday...but it's worse. He passed out on the bathroom floor this morning and he can't breathe."


I emailed her we would be praying, and that God sure knows how to keep us close to Him.........then Deb sends this....... =)

Please pray for their family this week, won't you?? Her mom doesn't drive any more and Ally is the only one 'right there'. We'll be praying for you all, Cheryl! ((((big hugs)))