The LORD your God will be merciful only if you obey him and keep all the commands I am giving you today, doing what is pleasing to him. Deut 13:18
One of my favorite episodes of “Frazier” is called “The Focus Group”. In this episode he watches as a group of 12 people listen to his radio show and give their comments. Eleven of the people think he is wonderful but 1 guy just “doesn’t like him”. Frazier cannot accept the praise of the 11, he is obsessed with the 1 vote of critcism. He hounds the man to find out why he doesn’t like him.
Why do I like this episode? I can see myself in Frazier’s shoes. I, too, am a people pleaser so I find it difficult to hold onto the uplifting words, I instead focus on the 1 voice of condemnation.
I am working hard on this and remind myself of God’s Word. It is the Lord I must please, not man. On the day of judgement it will not matter what others think of me. All that I desire is to hear Him say to me “well done, my good and faithful servant“.
“He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.” Malachi 3:3
This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn’t mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.
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 hottest as to burn away all the impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: “He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.”
She asked 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 answered that 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 in the flames, it would be destroyed.
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, “How do you know when the silver is fully refined?” He smiled at her and answered, “Oh, that’s easy — when I see my image in it”
