The Sunday Sermonette – Polishing Silver.

     For as long as I can remember, Saturday mornings at the Kalbergs’ house were busy. Clothes needed washing. The lawn needed mowing in the summer and raking in the winter. And the house needed cleaning from “cellar to dome.” At least once a month, Mom’s sterling silver had to be polished, too. Sitting on the floor in front of the family Zenith, watching reruns of The Little Rascals, The Three Stooges, and Bugs Bunny, I polished away using Wright’s Silver Cream, that gooey gray mush, the bane of many teenagers’ Saturday mornings.

     However, one Sunday morning in the mid-sixties, my silver polishing took on a new meaning. During Sunday School, I was asked to read Malachi 3:3: “And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.” Those lofty, King James words made little sense to the class until we were told a story about a silversmith.       

     The story begins, so runs the tale, during a Bible study in a small house around the turn of the last century. Malachi 3:3 was read. One of the study members offered to ride to the next town where a silversmith lived and ask him how silver was refined and purified. He did and was fascinated by the process. The silversmith held a piece of silver ore over a fire with tongs, allowing it to heat up. He explained that the silver ore must be exposed to intense heat to burn away the impurities. He stated he could not take his eyes off the ore while it was being refined in the fire. “You must leave the ore just long enough to burn the impurities away, but not too long, or the pure silver will also be destroyed.” Contemplating what the silversmith said, the man asked, ‘How do you know when the silver is purified?’ With a smile, the silversmith answered, “Oh, that’s easy — when I look at the pure silver and see my image.”

     Father God sometimes holds us over the fires of life, too. He knows how long it takes to burn away our impurities and thus begin our refining process. This procedure, though sometimes intense, should fill us with hope and optimism because it leads to our purification.

     I’ve often been held over the fires of life, fires usually of my own making. You, too? When being held over the fire, we must remember that Father God has His eyes on us, and the fires have a purpose. He faithfully guides us through the refining process, knowing when we’ve had enough and have been purified. His timing is perfect. His guidance is always there, reassuring us amid the flames.

     When you feel the fiery heat, never forget that Father God has his eye on you! He will “sit as a refiner and purifier,” keeping watch until He sees His silvery image in you. This idea should inspire and motivate you. He knows your every problem, care, heartache, fear, and pain. Trust Him for your good and His glory when you are over the flames.

     Ponder this and go forth.