- By Rev. Chandran J. Lite
- Posted 02/19/2017
Psalm 66 –Part 3
“For you , O God tested us
You refined us like silver
You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs” (verse 10, 11)
A woman was in a Bible study, where Malachi 3:3 “He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver” was studied. They all wondered what this meant about the character and nature of God. She wanted to visit the workplace of a silversmith in order to get to know what is happening there. 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 the hottest as to burn away all the impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot, and then she thought about the verse that says: He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver. She asks 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 said 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 it would be destroyed.
The woman after being silent asked, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined? He smilingly said, ”Oh that’s easy when I see my image in it”.
David is talking about “you laid many burdens upon my back” (verse 11).Many burdens are the furnace fire which God in His wisdom ,uses to refine us in all areas of our life until all the impurities in our lives are purified and God in whose image we are created is reflected and glorified in our lives. No pain, No gain. No burdens, no blessings. No fire of God, No favor of God.
Are you bearing any burdens right now that God has laid upon you? Let the Refiner who has a plan and purpose for you in the world do the refining in the burdens of your life so that God will be exalted and you will also be elevated.
Pastor Lite