A Beautiful Thought...

I thought I would share this...

  

This is a beautiful thought to go with our lesson on Sunday about trials and tribulations. We hope your week is going well.

-R.S. Presidency

"A group of women were studying the Book of Malachi.  They came to verse three of chapter three, which says, 

'He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.'  

This verse puzzled the women.  They wondered what they could learn from it about the character and nature of God.  One of the women offered to find out about the process of refining silver and report back to the group at their next Bible study.
 

She phoned a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him work.  She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest other than her curiosity about the process of refining silver.  As she watched, the silversmith held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up.  He explained that he needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire, where the flames are hottest, in order to burn away all the impurities.  The woman thought about God holding us where the 'flames' are hottest.  She remembered that the verse says He 'sits' as a refiner and purifier of silver, so she asked the silversmith if it's true that he has to sit by the fire the whole time the silver is being refined.  The man answered that, yes, he only has to sit there holding the silver, but he must keep his eyes on it the entire time because if it is left even a moment too long in the flames, it will be destroyed.
The woman was silent for a moment.  Then she asked, 'How do you know when the silver is fully refined?'  He smiled at her and said, 'Oh, that's easy - when I can see my image in it.'

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If you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God will not take His eyes off you, nor will He leave you there a moment too long.  He is nearby, watching you and carefully waiting...to see His image in you.