Stranger than Fiction?

Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.  The very public prayer by LL Cool J at the 54th Grammy awards in tribute to the life of Whitney Houston who died the day before, stunned many in the audience, and around the world.  An audience comprised of some of the most popular musicans from all walks of life, from across the country and around the world.  Was what he did right?  Some may think so, and other's not, but for LL Cool J, there was no way around it...  As the cameras panned around the audience during his prayer, some bowed their heads out of respect while others gazed around, somewhat startled.  This is America, and thankfully there still is some freedom to worship God, or not to, depending on where you are in the spectrum.  But for LL Cool J, he felt that thanking God for the life and talent of Whitney Houston would bring comfort, healing and perhaps start the journey towards closure to many of those grieving.  But why prayer at such a venue?  It appears to be without precedant. 

There is a very interesting passage in Malachi 3:3 that points to where God is in all this, both for the audience and the prayer giver.  It says: 'He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver.'

Ok, where is the connection?  

Says "anon,"  "The verse in Malachi 3:3 (the last book in the Old Testament) "... puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God ...One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining Silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: ' He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.'

She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, 'How do you know when the silver is fully refined?' He smiled at her and answered, ' Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it.' If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has his eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you."

So, with "truth" sometimes being stranger than "fiction," LL Cool J's very public prayer at the 54th Grammy Awards in thanks to God for the legacy of singer Whitney Houston, gives credence to the point made in the book of Malachi.  LL Cool J demonstrated courage—apparently, the type of courage to “go public” comes from being a part of God’s “refining.”   Interesting… 

Blessings

Leigh