The Old Refiner

He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver .

(Mal - 3:3)

Our Father, who seeks to perfect His saints in holiness, knows the value of the refiner’s fire. It is with the most precious metals that the assayer takes the most pains, and subjects them to the hot fire, because such fires melt the metal, and only the molten mass releases its alloy or takes perfectly its new form in the mould. The old refiner never leaves his crucible, but sits down by it, lest there should be one excessive degree of heat to mar the metal. But as soon as he skims from the surface the last of the dross, and sees his own face reflected, he puts out the fire.—Arthur T. Pierson

“He sat by a fire of seven-fold heat,  

As He watched by the precious ore,  

And closer He bent with a searching gaze  

As He heated it more and more.  

He knew He had ore that could stand the test,  

And He wanted the finest gold  

To mould as a crown for the King to wear,  

Set with gems with a price untold.  

So He laid our gold in the burning fire,  

Tho’ we fain would have said Him ’Nay,’  

And He watched the dross that we had not seen,  

And it melted and passed away.  

And the gold grew brighter and yet more bright,  

But our eyes were so dim with tears,  

We saw but the fire—not the Master’s hand,  

And questioned with anxious fears.  

Yet our gold shone out with a richer glow,  

As it mirrored a Form above,  

That bent o’er the fire, tho’ unseen by us,  

With a look of ineffable love.  

Can we think that it pleases His loving heart  

To cause us a moment’s pain?  

Ah, no! but He saw through the present cross  

The bliss of eternal gain.  

So He waited there with a watchful eye,  

With a love that is strong and sure,  

And His gold did not suffer a bit more heat,  

Than was needed to make it pure.”

In The Heavenly Places

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ ... and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph -  2:4-6)

This is our rightful place, to be “seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus,” and to “sit still” there. But how few there are who make it their actual experience! How few, indeed think even that it is possible for them to “sit still” in these “heavenly places” in the everyday life of a world so full of turmoil as this.

We may believe perhaps that to pay a little visit to these heavenly places on Sundays, or now and then in times of spiritual exaltation, may be within the range of possibility; but to be actually “seated” there every day and all day long is altogether another matter; and yet it is very plain that it is for Sundays and week-days as well.

A quiet spirit is of inestimable value in carrying on outward activities; and nothing so hinders the working of the hidden spiritual forces, upon which, after all, our success in everything really depends, as a spirit of unrest and anxiety.

There is immense power in stillness. A great saint once said, “All things come to him who knows how to trust and be silent.” The words are pregnant with meaning. A knowledge of this fact would immensely change our ways of working. Instead of restless struggles, we would “sit down” inwardly before the Lord, and would let the Divine forces of His Spirit work out in silence the ends to which we aspire. You may not see or feel the operations of this silent force, but be assured it is always working mightily, and will work for you, if you only get your spirit still enough to be carried along by the currents of its power. —Hannah Whitall Smith

“There is a point of rest  

At the great center of the cyclone’s force,  

A silence at its secret source;  

A little child might slumber undisturbed,  

Without the ruffle of one fair curl,  

In that strange, central calm, amid the mighty whirl.”  

It is your business to learn to be peaceful and safe in God in every situation.

His Billows

All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me (Ps - 42:7)

They are HIS billows, whether they go o’er us,  

Hiding His face in smothering spray and foam;  

Or smooth and sparkling, spread a path before us,  

And to our haven bear us safely home.  

They are HIS billows, whether for our succor  

He walks across them, stilling all our fear;  

Or to our cry there comes no aid nor answer,  

And in the lonely silence none is near.  

They are HIS billows, whether we are toiling  

Through tempest-driven waves that never cease,  

While deep to deep with clamor loud is calling;  

Or at His word they hush themselves in peace.  

They are HIS billows, whether He divides them,  

Making us walk dryshod where seas had flowed;  

Or lets tumultuous breakers surge about us,  

Rushing unchecked across our only road.  

They are HIS billows, and He brings us through them;  

So He has promised, so His love will do.  

Keeping and leading, guiding and upholding,  

To His sure harbor, He will bring us through.  

—Annie Johnson Flint

Stand up in the place where the dear Lord has put you, and there do your best. God gives us trial tests. He puts life before us as an antagonist face to face. Out of the buffeting of a serious conflict we are expected to grow strong. The tree that grows where tempests toss its boughs and bend its trunk often almost to breaking, is often more firmly rooted than the tree which grows in the sequestered valley where no storm ever brings stress or strain. The same is true of life. The grandest character is grown in hardship.