Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

 This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what
 this statement meant about the character and nature of God.

 One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver
 and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.
 
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 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 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.

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 "Life is a coin. You can spend it anyway you wish, but you can only
 spend it once."