Meltdown
“Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer” (Proverbs 25:4).
During the reign of Oliver Cromwell the government ran out of silver with which to mint the British coins. Cromwell sent his men everywhere to see if they could find more of the precious metal. They returned to report that the only silver they could find was in the statues of the saints which were on display in various of the cathedrals of the land.
“Good!” replied Cromwell. “We’ll melt down the saints and put them into circulation!”
The Lord, the Refiner, often puts us through things, even the furnace of affliction, to produce in our lives that which is for His glory. “He is like a refiner’s fire … and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver” (Malachi 3:2-3).
How good to be melted down so that which is real can be taken and used for His service. As a result there will be true blessing and a full reward when we get to heaven. Of His people we read, “And I … will refine them as silver is refined” (Zechariah 13:9). All this is for our good and so “the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body” (2 Corinthians 4:10).
