Dr. Paul Chappell wrote yesterday in his “Launch Out in His Word” e-mail, ”

‘”Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer. Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.”  Proverbs 25:4-5

When silver is mined from the ground it is commonly mixed with a number of other elements. In order to get pure silver that can be used for commercial or industrial purposes, it must be refined. Silver has an extraordinarily high melting point—it must be heated to nearly 2,200 degrees in order to be refined to complete purity. Only when it has been through that process does the silver become useful for its intended function. Beautiful service pieces, high tech equipment, and collectible coins all become possible once the silver has been refined. Without that process, it is largely worthless.’

So, you see my friend, the trials and the difficult times that we face are not designed to kill us.  On Sunday, my Pastor, Pastor Al Ray said, “God does not do things to us.  He does things for us.”  God is working in our lives to make us more like Jesus Christ.  His intent is to refine us and purify us.  It is difficult to allow this to happen as it is a painful process.  If we will allow Him to do His purifying work in us then one day we will be a fine vessel that He can use for His glory.

So, how are you doing?