The Refiner's Fire

I once heard a story of a group of women who in their Bible study had been reading Malchi 3:2, which reads:
"But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap"
Their interested was awoken. What is a refiner's fire? They decided to go straight to the source.



 They went to visit a refiner to learn more so they could understand this verse. They did not tell the refiner their purpose for visiting, they simply told him they came out of honest curiosity to learn what he does. The refiner started out with a piece of silver. He explained that it was not pure silver, but there were other metals mixed in with the silver, keeping the silver from its purity. The way that they removed the other metals was to hold it in the center of the fire, the hottest part. Slowly the weaker metals would melt and run off until the stronger purified silver was the only element remaining of the original alloy. The refiner explained that the refining in and of itself was not very difficult, the most important part was that you watch the silver, for if it is in the fire too long then it will break, losing the desired result of perfect, refined, and purified silver.

"How do you know when it's been in just long enough?" The Bible study group inquired.

"That's the easy part. I know the silver is just right when I can see my reflection in it."

So it is with our Savior Jesus Christ! He is our Great Refiner. He wants us to be happy as he is. He wants us to experience the joy and hope that comes from Him, and we do so as we become more like Him, as our actions and countenance slowly reflects more and more of the light of Christ. Our trials and tribulations are not given to us as punishment, but as a blessing to "refine" us and make us more Christ-like if we go through them with the help of our Refiner. Listen to the words of a modern-day apostle of the Lord:

    

"The Divine Shepherd has a message of hope, strength, and deliverance for all. If there were no night, we would not appreciate the day, nor could we see the stars and the vastness of the heavens. We must partake of the bitter with the sweet. There is a divine purpose in the adversities we encounter every day. They prepare, they purge, they purify, and thus they bless.

When we pluck the roses, we find we often cannot avoid the thorns which spring from the same stem.

Out of the refiner’s fire can come a glorious deliverance. It can be a noble and lasting rebirth. The price to become acquainted with God will have been paid. There can come a sacred peace. There will be a reawakening of dormant, inner resources. A comfortable cloak of righteousness will be drawn around us to protect us and to keep us warm spiritually. Self-pity will vanish as our blessings are counted.

The blessings of eternity will surely come to those who endure refining, as the Lord Himself taught: 'He only is saved who endureth unto the end.' I testify that Jesus is the Christ and the Divine Redeemer. He lives! His are the sweet words of eternal life." -James E. Faust (click here)

I know our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ love us so much. They will always be there to strengthen us. They will never let us sit in the fire longer than is needed! I testify of these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.