This story, which I have read long back in a magazine 'Shalom Tidings', still stays in my heart and whoever comes to me with some problem still I narrate this beautiful small story. Hope this story also gives you the right meaning for the suffering.
Once a prayer group had their monthly gathering. In that gathering, as they started with prayer, they read the Word of God from the Book of Isaiah where it read, "See: I have refined you as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction." (Isaiah 48:10). When the gathering was over, an elderly lady approached the prayer leader and asked that she could not understand the word of God, especially, 'I have refined you as silver'. The prayer leader asked her whether she has ever seen a silversmith working. She said that she did not see a silversmith working. Then the prayer leader replied to her first to go and see and observe closely how the silversmith works then she can come back and the prayer leader will explain the Word of God.
The next day the lady searched for a silversmith shop and waited there for the silversmith to come and work. Now the silversmith came, opened his shop, prepared the fire and gathered the small pieces of silver, put it in a little earthen pot and held it in the middle of the fire. He was looking it for some time, then poured it in the mold. Now the elderly lady started to ask some doubt to the silversmith. She asked him, "Sir, why do you keep the silver containing little earthen pot in the middle of the fire?" He replied, "For the silver to get melted it needs a constant amount of heat, not with varied measure, only in the middle of the fire, I could get that constant measure of heat, that was the reason i held it in the middle of the fire." "Mmmmm... well," the lady replied, "Ok then, you could have just kept that silver pot in the middle and done some other work, Why you have been constantly looking at it?" "Though it needs constant amount of heat, if it becomes more hot, or too much heat will make it into ashes, it will become useless. That is the reason why I constantly look at it." The Lady continued, "Well said sir, then how long will you be looking at it?" After a while, the man replied quietly, "Until I see my face in it."
Yes, some times God keeps us in the middle of the fire of problems, pains and sufferings. Be sure that his eyes are on us, because he knows that beyond certain measure we will not be able to bear the sufferings. "No trial greater than human endurance has overcome you. God is faithful and will not let you be tempted beyond your strength. He will give you, together with temptation, the strength to escape and to resist." (1Corinthians 10:13) Then how long will God allow the suffering? until he can see his face, his image in us. When the silver starts melting we can see all the dirt which was inside the silver nuggets will start float at the surface, then after some time those dirt will come to the side walls of the earthen pot. That time the silver will be pure and could reflect the images like mercury or mirror. When God allows suffering, pain, he allows it to purify us. When we are purified in the furnace of affliction all the unwanted emotions, feelings, speaches and actions removed away from our souls, we will become pure and able to reflect the true image of God. For he knows us very well.
You could see different versions of this story in the net by unknown author, but the message is the same. When we are in pain and suffering, we are under constant care of God because he is watching closely and we will become pure like silver and gold by our sufferings and reflect his divine image in our life.
"FEAR NOT, FOR I AM YOUR ASSISTANCE" (Isaiah 43:13)
"The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the rampart of my life; I will not be afraid." (Psalms 27:1)
"Is not Ephraim my favored son, the child in whom I delight? Often have I threatened him, but I still remember him, and my heart yearns for him. I must show him mercy," declares Yahweh." (Jeremiah 31:20)
When the Lord has given you the bread of anguish and the water of distress, he, your teacher will hide no longer. Your own eyes will see him, and your ear will listen to his words behind you: "This is the way, walk in it." (Isaiah 30:20-21)
"IF GOD IS WITH US, WHO SHALL BE AGAINST US?" (Romans 8:31)
Once a prayer group had their monthly gathering. In that gathering, as they started with prayer, they read the Word of God from the Book of Isaiah where it read, "See: I have refined you as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction." (Isaiah 48:10). When the gathering was over, an elderly lady approached the prayer leader and asked that she could not understand the word of God, especially, 'I have refined you as silver'. The prayer leader asked her whether she has ever seen a silversmith working. She said that she did not see a silversmith working. Then the prayer leader replied to her first to go and see and observe closely how the silversmith works then she can come back and the prayer leader will explain the Word of God.
The next day the lady searched for a silversmith shop and waited there for the silversmith to come and work. Now the silversmith came, opened his shop, prepared the fire and gathered the small pieces of silver, put it in a little earthen pot and held it in the middle of the fire. He was looking it for some time, then poured it in the mold. Now the elderly lady started to ask some doubt to the silversmith. She asked him, "Sir, why do you keep the silver containing little earthen pot in the middle of the fire?" He replied, "For the silver to get melted it needs a constant amount of heat, not with varied measure, only in the middle of the fire, I could get that constant measure of heat, that was the reason i held it in the middle of the fire." "Mmmmm... well," the lady replied, "Ok then, you could have just kept that silver pot in the middle and done some other work, Why you have been constantly looking at it?" "Though it needs constant amount of heat, if it becomes more hot, or too much heat will make it into ashes, it will become useless. That is the reason why I constantly look at it." The Lady continued, "Well said sir, then how long will you be looking at it?" After a while, the man replied quietly, "Until I see my face in it."
Yes, some times God keeps us in the middle of the fire of problems, pains and sufferings. Be sure that his eyes are on us, because he knows that beyond certain measure we will not be able to bear the sufferings. "No trial greater than human endurance has overcome you. God is faithful and will not let you be tempted beyond your strength. He will give you, together with temptation, the strength to escape and to resist." (1Corinthians 10:13) Then how long will God allow the suffering? until he can see his face, his image in us. When the silver starts melting we can see all the dirt which was inside the silver nuggets will start float at the surface, then after some time those dirt will come to the side walls of the earthen pot. That time the silver will be pure and could reflect the images like mercury or mirror. When God allows suffering, pain, he allows it to purify us. When we are purified in the furnace of affliction all the unwanted emotions, feelings, speaches and actions removed away from our souls, we will become pure and able to reflect the true image of God. For he knows us very well.
You could see different versions of this story in the net by unknown author, but the message is the same. When we are in pain and suffering, we are under constant care of God because he is watching closely and we will become pure like silver and gold by our sufferings and reflect his divine image in our life.
"FEAR NOT, FOR I AM YOUR ASSISTANCE" (Isaiah 43:13)
"The Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the rampart of my life; I will not be afraid." (Psalms 27:1)
"Is not Ephraim my favored son, the child in whom I delight? Often have I threatened him, but I still remember him, and my heart yearns for him. I must show him mercy," declares Yahweh." (Jeremiah 31:20)
When the Lord has given you the bread of anguish and the water of distress, he, your teacher will hide no longer. Your own eyes will see him, and your ear will listen to his words behind you: "This is the way, walk in it." (Isaiah 30:20-21)
"IF GOD IS WITH US, WHO SHALL BE AGAINST US?" (Romans 8:31)
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