Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the LORD tests the heart.

Proverbs 17:3

“He therefore tries us, that he may make us know what is in us, what dross, what pure metal; and that all may see that we are such as, for a need, can ‘glorify him in the very fires.” - John Trapp

Solomon likens this testing of the heart to that of refining and purifying of silver.

Gold Smelting

Testing to: 

Refine: 

• to make more fine, subtle, or precise
• to remove what is coarse, vulgar, or debasing; make elegant or cultured

Purify

• to make pure; free from anything that debases, pollutes, adulterates, or contaminates
• to free from foreign, extraneous, or objectionable elements
• to free from guilt and evil

God uses

His Word and our troubles to refine and purify us.

We have to 

• Submit to His methods
• Surrender to His Spirit
• Trust the process

His Word and Our Troubles

• All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
  2 Timothy 3:16-17
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• Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
  James 1:2-4

• So, be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So, when your faith remains strong through many 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 1:6-7

Why?

• To present us to the Father as His spotless bride 
  For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.
  Ephesians 5:25-27 

• To cause us to reflect the image of our Father
  Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.
  Colossians 3:10

“Abundance often brings a deterioration of moral and ethical standards as well as an increase in envy and strife.” - Allen P Ross

Mr. Ross offers great support of one of my life’s prayer:

First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.
Proverbs 30:8-9

Allow myself to be refined and purified.