Heartwarming

The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,

and the Lord tests hearts.

Proverbs 17:3 (ESV)

The amount of heat required to melt silver and gold is quite intense: 1,763.2 degrees Fahrenheit, and 1,947.5 degrees Fahrenheit for gold. In the process of melting these precious metals, impurities rise to the surface of these molten alloys. The impurities are then removed, leaving the metal in a purer state than it was before.

God cares for more for the heart than He does material things. To test your heart, He will put you through a fiery trial. A common misconception is to see every "bad" thing that happens to us as an attack from the devil.

Most—if not all—circumstances present two options: a call to worship God, or a temptation from the devil to respond sinfully. There is a temptation to respond to a trial with complaints and despair, and there is a call to praise God and rejoice in the midst of the trial.

As the Christian goes through subsequent trials, our hearts are being purified. When we glorify God through these trials, the dross plaguing the heart is removed and we will shine with the pure light of the Refiner.

God works each situation for our ultimate good, removing the impurities through the testing. You are more precious to Him than precious metals. Surrender to the good will of God. See the trials not as a punishment, but as a refinement that purifies your heart.

Non Nobis Nati