Meld Me and Mold Me

Make 2014 a year for sharing

“He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.” – Malachi 3:3

I remember going to Cedar Point as a small child.  This is an amusement park outside of Sandusky, Ohio; that was very drivable from our hometown in Michigan.  It was so much fun to ride the roller coasters and play the games on the midway, but I was one of those weird kids who really liked the old-time historic village inside of Cedar Point called Frontier Trails .  Here a young boys imagination became the entertainment.  There was an early settlers fort called Fort Sandusky where we would climb to the top and pretend we were fighting in the Civil War and protecting our women and children.  There was the Candle-maker’s shop and the Glass Blowing factory, where you could watch the employees, dressed in authentic 17th century attire, manufacture glass and candles.  One of my favorites though was the Blacksmith’s shop.  It was here that you could actually watch them meld and mold steel into horse shoes, swords and tools.  There was always someone here pounding on metal, and sticking it back into the fire until it burned red-hot and then onto an anvil for more pounding, bending and smoothing.  Watching them making swords though was special because it allowed me as a boy to see a weapon created from nothing more than a block of metal.

It all begins with applying extreme heat in a furnace.  They would keep the metal in the fire long enough to soften it.  When it came out it was so white-hot it seemed to create light itself.  The metal would be pressed when it was extremely hot until it took the basic shape of a sword blade – long and thin.  This took multiple times back and forth from the furnace to the press until it was the perfect shape.  Then they would once again place it in the furnace and upon removal use the anvil and hammers or files to sharpen the edges.  Once the edges were sharp and the point was formed they would begin the smoothing process.  This is where they would keep it in the fire even longer until it seemed as though the metal would melt.  Taking it out, they would file it and put it back in.  This process of scratching the surface with a file would allow the softened metal to fill the scratches in the furnace and evenly distribute the metal across the surface, thereby smoothing the metal.  After multiple iterations of melting, filing and smoothing the metal would be perfectly smooth on the surfaces and unbelievably sharp along the edges.  At this point they would apply the silver plating and the polishing process would begin.

Once again extreme heat is applied after the silver plating, to melt away the imperfections, but not the silver.  This took an extremely careful eye and constant attention of the silversmith.  If it was left for too long, the silver would melt away, if it was taken out too early the imperfections would still be there.  They would heat it, remove it from the fire, dip it in cool water and then polish it.  Carefully they would look over the entire blade of the sword, which right before our eyes becoming a beautiful masterpiece.  Eventually, the silversmith would remove the sword, give it one look over and then turn to the audience and hold it up.  It would shine in the sunlight, reflecting everything around it.  He would lay it on the table next to a block of cold hard steel and I would be amazed that the black/blue chunk of steel had been molded and melded into this incredible shining silver sword before our very eyes.

God is constantly refining us in the same manner.  Inside of each of us is a weapon, formed by His hands for His purpose.  Heat is applied through life’s trials and temptations to strengthen us.  We have choices to make every time we are in the fire of life, choices to lean on God’s word and become stronger or to become discouraged and succumb to the pressure and heat.  God is the master craftsman and knows exactly where our imperfections lie.  He will remove us from the fire to mold us, polish and meld us into what He has in mind.  As we mature in our walk with Him, our purpose begins to take shape and our edge becomes sharp as our understanding is increased.  But all too often we think we are perfect and ready for the world only to find ourselves back in the fire again, being shaped and molded again.

Eventually, we will come to the point of realizing that it is not about when we think we’re ready, it’s about His perspective on our readiness.  God’s plans and purpose for my life far exceed anything I can envision.  I started as a block of steel, and only God knows what the final weapon will look like or when it is complete.  The silversmith knows when his craft is complete because the impurities and imperfections fall away in the furnace, leaving him with a perfect, unblemished piece of silver.  He knows it is perfect when he can see his image reflected back to him.  So it is with God in our lives.  He will continue to apply heat and growth opportunities until He sees His reflection in our life.  This is only possible through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

We can never reflect perfection back to God, but Christ can on our behalf.  He is our redeemer, molder and maker.  He can work through the Holy Spirit within each of us to rid our lives of unrighteousness over time.  His forgiveness and mercy cover our sins and blemishes such that we can stand before the Lord one day, worthy of entering into His perfect heaven.

Prayer:
God the Father,

Continue to press down upon me and mold me into Your servant.  Help me to see life through Your eyes and reflect Your image to all that I come in contact with.  Polish and meld me with Your word such that all unrighteousness is removed in the fire of life.  I long to be held up in Your hands and hear those words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”  In Your name we pray – Amen

© Sondove Enterprises, 2014
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