In the middle of the fire
(I posted this to Dakota's site, but I felt to post it here too so that no one misses it LMBO ... Seriously though, I feel that many of us are in a refiners fire in our own different circumstances - and I just wanted to encourage you that no matter where you are at in the fire ... God is there with you) and sometimes we may not feel like he is, but HE IS ... Some of us are in the fire and don't want to be so we try and squirm out, bow out, back out, run away, or go into denial as well as many other emotions to protect ourselves and keep from hurting ...no getting around it ... the only way out is through .. and it is a painful if not agonizing place to be ... but if we can extend trust to our "HP" and believe that he will guide us through and out ... We will find that our journey was not in vain..... - Passion
The following story is a great example of how the Lord teaches and molds us through life's trials.
There was a group of women in a Bible study on the book of Malachi. As they were studying chapter three, they came across verse three which says: 'He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.' (Malachi 3:3) This verse puzzled the women and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.
One of the women offered to find out about the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible study. That week this woman called up a silver smith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest in silver beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silver smith, 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 he sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.
She asked the silver smith 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 that 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 even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silver smith, '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.
Author unknown