SILVER REFINERY

There is a place in the south part of Jogjakarta, known as Kotagede where it is a central of silver handy craft and jewelries. When touring to that area, besides viewing silver handy craft which is displayed on the show case, buyers or visitors are also allowed to visit their workshop, where the process of refinery and crafting take place.

In the workshop, I watched the silversmith sit in front of the fire, held a piece of silver over the fire, in the middle of fire where the flames were hottest and let it heat up. This process is aimed to burn away all the impurities.

The silversmith had to hold the silver and moreover keep his eyes on it the entire time it was in the fire for being refined. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. This process is finished when the silversmith could see his image in the silver. In this state means the silver is fully refined.

The silver refining process reminds me of how God refine and shape us, to burn away all the impurities. I could imagine the pain if I were a silver. Troubles and life struggle are the time of God’s process of refining us, to purify our heart.

If today, you are feeling the heat of fire, when the trouble comes, when life struggle, remember that HE is holding us and never left us a moment, HE keeps watching us through the entire process, till HE sees HIS image in us.

Malachi 3 : 3 “HE will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver …. “