Refining Silver

It seems like scripture often uses comparisons that were more relevant to the people of long ago than to most people today. One such example is refining silver. "The words of the Lord are words without alloy, silver from the furnace, seven times refined." - Psalm 12. Not knowing much about refining silver, it made an impression on me the one time I heard a silversmith explain the process, especially since I was trying to understand how it related to the Biblical references. He explained that silver has to be put into a furnace to melt away all the impurities.

Someone asked, "How do you know when it's done?"

He answered, "When you can see yourself clearly in it."

Sometimes God's words feel like we are being put into the furnace, but if we fully accept them over and over again, we will be a clear reflection of Him to the world.