“He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver, He will purify the sons of Levi, and refine them as gold and silver, and they will offer to the Lord offerings in righteousness” – Malachi 3:3
I believe God seeks to purify us, not destroy everyone. He seeks to purify and cleanse to make us fit for service. He refined us through the furnace of suffering, a painful, but purposeful process designed to burn away the dross of sin and impunity.
Like the silversmith God he must place the silver in the middle of the fire, where it will burn the hottest. He must sit and watch the silver constantly, if it is left too long, the metal will be destroyed. Like the silversmith, God knows the silver is fully refined when He can see His own image reflected in it.
I think the same process goes on in the world today. And when the godly are completely separated from the ungodly, the world will end. When the “dross” is taken from us we will be delivered from the furnace of fire. The clearer we are the harder our trials.
In James 1:2-4 Paul says, “Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. The trials we face are not designed to break us, but to develop endurance, maturity, and completeness in our faith.
Instead of seeing trials as punishment, we should see them as opportunities for growth and a deeper more refined faith.
From Pity to Praise 