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 silver was being refined.
The man answered 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.