These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold – and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
(1 Peter 1:7 NLT)
A gold refiner heats up the furnace and then puts in the gold in order to separate the worthless and impure dross from the precious and beautiful gold. The dross rises to the top and is skimmed off until the refiner can look into the crucible at the liquid gold and see his image.
Our faith is far more precious to God than gold, and God uses the fiery trials in our lives to purify and deepen our faith so that one day He will clearly see His image in us.
"To learn strong faith is to endure great trials. I have learned my faith by standing firm amid severe testings."
- George Mueller