The Bible often compares God to a "Refiner," and us to "silver or gold." Silver or gold cannot reach is optimum value without other by-products (like zinc, lead, or copper) being burned away. And the only way to separate the by-products is to put the precious metal in a furnace of intense heat. In the process of refining silver, the intense heat will cause all the impurities (dross) to rise to the surface in order to be skimmed off and discarded. Sometimes God will use the intense heat of difficult life circumstances to cause the impurities of our lives to rise to the surface so that we can deal with those things that mar our lives. God wants to purify and perfect us--to make us more into His image and likeness. Through the patience of our Good Refiner, He will make us into the pure vessels for His use.