Tuesday, October 14, 2008

What Happens in a Foundry?

A foundry is a place where metal is melted down and purified. In God's Word, the Bible, it speaks about the "Refiners Fire" and how "our maker" ill refine our lives in His fire. I think this description I found describes it best. It is a story of a women coming across the scriptures about the refiners fire and not understanding it and digging deeper. Let us know what you think.

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

1 comment:

Lisa said...

I love the part in the story about how the worker must sit in front of the fire and and not take his eyes off of the metal he is working with until he sees his reflection, Oh how I long for Jesus to see His reflection in me. How I love the picture of how He never takes His eyes off of me until He sees Himself. What a selfless love He has for me, I surely do not deserve it but He gives it so freely anyways.