Refined - Finding Joy in the Midst of the FireSample

A silversmith holds a piece of silver in his hand and carefully studies it from all angles. When his thorough assessment of the piece of silver is complete, he then holds it carefully over the prepared fire and allows the silver to be exposed to the heat of the fire. The silversmith will eventually hold this precious and observed piece of metal over the hottest part of the blaze that is in the very middle of the fire. The reason that the silversmith desires this valuable piece of silver to spend time over the fiercest aspect of the fire is in order to rid the silver of all of its impurities. The silversmith never leaves the fire or the silver; he refuses to allow the silver to encounter the flames without the protection of his watchful and expert vision. If the silver was left even an instant too long over the intense heat of the flames, it would be destroyed. The silversmith knows that his chosen piece of silver is fully refined when he can see his reflection in the silver. According to the expert insight and experience of the silversmith, there are two purposes for the silver to be refined by the roaring temperature of the fire. The first purpose is to remove any existing impurities, and the second purpose is to see the reflection of the silversmith. The silversmith intimately and uniquely understands that the silver is being prepared for a greater work. If you have found yourself in the heat of a roaring and relentless fire, you can be assured that God, your Silversmith, will never leave you alone in the fire. In the fire, His goal is that He would see His own reflection in your life while He prepares you for a greater work than you could ever imagine.