Tried by Fire

For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. Psalm 66:10 The physical, material parts of creation undergo radical transformations when exposed to fire or extreme heat. Impure gold is dull in appearance but is transformed by a process involving intense heat, making it shimmer and shine with great brilliance. A strip of magnesium metal is gray and shiny, but when exposed to intense heat it transforms into a white, powdery ash. A lush, thriving forest is blackened and...