This appeared online with no indication of the author. But it’s good enough to share!
There was once a group of Christians studying the book of Malachi in the Old Testament. As they were studying chapter three, they came across verse three, which says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." This verse puzzled them. What did it mean about the character and nature of God? Somebody offered to find out about the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible study.
An appointment was made to watch a silversmith at work, to understand the process of refining silver. At one point he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up, explaining that in refining silver, one needed to hold it in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest so as to burn away all the impurities.
The Christian thought about God holding us in such a hot spot, remembering a verse from Malachi 3:3 that speaks of Him sitting as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.
The silversmith was asked if he had to sit in front of the fire the whole time the silver was bring refined. The man answered that he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on it the entire time it was in the flames. If it was left a moment too long in the fire, it would be damaged.
This prompted the obvious question: "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?"
The man smiled and answered, "Oh, that's easy. When I see my image in it."