Written by: John Sernaque
Call to Worship
Haggai 2:23
2:23 In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the LORD, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the LORD of hosts.
Pebbles or Polished Gems—
Christians are Christ’s jewels. They are to shine brightly for Him, shedding forth the light of His loveliness. Their luster depends on the polishing they receive. They may choose to be polished or to remain unpolished. But every one who is pronounced worthy of a place in the Lord’s temple must submit to the polishing process. Without the polishing that the Lord gives they can reflect no more light than a common pebble. {4BC 1177.2}
Christ says to man, “You are mine. I have bought you. You are now only a rough stone, but if you will place yourself in my hands, I will polish you, and the luster with which you shall shine will bring honor to My name. No man shall pluck you out of My hand. I will make you My peculiar treasure. On My coronation day, you will be a jewel in My crown of rejoicing.” {4BC 1177.3}
The divine Worker spends little time on worthless material. Only the precious jewels does He polish after the similitude of a palace, cutting away all the rough edges. This process is severe and trying; it hurts human pride. Christ cuts deep into the experience that man in his self-sufficiency has regarded as complete, and takes away self-uplifting from the character. He cuts away the surplus surface, and putting the stone to the polishing wheel, presses it close, that all roughness may be worn away. Then, holding the jewel up to the light, the Master sees in it a reflection of Himself, and He pronounces it worthy of a place in His casket. {4BC 1177.4}
“In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, will I take thee ... and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord of hosts.” Blessed be the experience, however severe, that gives new value to the stone, and causes it to shine with living brightness (The Review and Herald, December 19, 1907). {4BC 1177.5}
Life Hidden in Christ Preserved—
God will not suffer one of His true-hearted workers to be left alone to struggle against great odds and be overcome. He preserves as a precious jewel every one whose life is hid with Christ in God. Of every such an one He says, “I ... will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee” (Manuscript 95, 1902). {4BC 1177.6}
God made a personal promise to Zerubbabel. God chose him as He has chosen all His children. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. God reserves His promises for the righteous. This is
evident when God spoke to the Israelites in the desert. And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years, and bear your whoredoms, until your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness. After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise. And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers. For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for He is faithful that promised. For this is the Word of promise. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, according to the promise of life, which is in Christ Jesus, in hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.
Our Father, which art in heaven,
We come into Your presence in thanksgiving, praise, and prayer. We thank You for all the wonderful promises made to all Your children. Thank You for standing behind all Your promises as Your promises cannot fail. We thank You for never leaving us nor forsaking us, as You have promised. Thank You for providing for all our needs in abundance, as You have a thousand ways to provide which we know not. Thank You for the promise of sending the Holy Spirit to those who ask, the Comforter that abides in us. Thank You for Your promise that whatsoever we ask in Your name, we will receive. Thank You for writing Your law in our minds and hearts. Your promises are conditioned on our obedience and we thank You for imparting Your righteousness unto us. Thank You for promising us mansions in heaven and for making us heirs to the Royal Family. Thank You for the promise of eternal life through Christ Jesus. Thank You for promising that You will be with us every step of the way. Thank You for promising that if we wait upon You that You will renew our strength for us to mount up with wings as eagles. That if we call upon You, You will be near. If we are weary and heavy laden, that You will give us rest. Thank You for promising to give us Your peace. Thank You for the promise of helping us overcome temptation and not allowing them ever to be more than we can bare. Thank You for the promise that he who overcomes sin will sit with You on Your throne. That if we come to You, just as we are, You in no wise will cast us out. That You will take off our filthy rags, clothe us with Your robe of righteousness, and not let us go. We promise that we will not let You go. We thank You for hearing and answering our prayers, in the name of Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.
