I have chosen thee

Haggai 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.

What a marvelous little book Haggai is! Could we not meditate upon it continually, and extract and derive from its pages the very substance of what is needed in our nation and in our lives? Would it not cause us to consider our ways, and to obey the voice of the Lord our God, and to be stirred up to do the work of God? It reminds us that He is with us, and that, in Him, we may have peace. It shows us how we as an individual or a nation may see the blessing of God upon us. But how does God speak to His people? How does He accomplish His work? What is the vessel and the channel and the medium through which the sayings of God and the work of God is effected and brought to pass? Is it not through the man of God? Is it not through those that are consecrated to Him? I am convinced beyond all doubt that God can and will use a man or woman whose vessel is kept and sanctified and useable to the Lord. And here his name is Zerubbabel. He is the one that God is using! He is the one that God is choosing!

I have chosen thee, saith the Lord of hosts! This books ends with this grand and comforting statement—at least to Zerubbabel. God tells him that He has chosen him for His work. Yes, this is an ultimate picture of Christ Jesus, who will come and reign from Israel, destroying all the heathen, and bringing peace and righteousness to this world. But there is a servant, there is a man that God is using to accomplish His work in this world. The Lord says, “I will take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant.” I will take thee! Do you want God to take you? Zerubbabel was His servant! He was a servant of God that God could use for His purposes. And it was not for what Zerubbabel might have thought to do. He would not be the arbiter and the judge of that. God would use him as He saw fit. Are you willing, as Zerubbabel, to be used as the Lord sees fit? Are you willing for Him to choose you?

Dear friend, maybe you have a desire in your heart to be used by the Lord. That is a great and noble and righteous and holy desire. In fact, I don’t believe any desire in the whole wide world is any greater. The desire to be used by God! But we must relinquish all, we must surrender all, we must yield all, and we must give up all. Was it Henry Varley who said to Mr. D. L. Moody that “the world has yet to see what God can do with a man fully consecrated to Him”? Do you want to be that man? Ladies, do you want to be that woman? You can be! You may be! But you must be fully dedicated to being that vessel. You must be His servant, as this man Zerubbabel was. You cannot be called otherwise. May God raise up many Zerubbabels in our world and in our nation today who will be chosen servants for the Lord’s will and glory.

“Father in Heaven, we are united under one desire. We come to you now asking you to choose us to be used for your purposes. May you remove any hindrance or impedance from that usableness. May we be your servants alone, and not the servants of anyone or anything else. We want to be Zerubbabel. We want, at least, to have his heart and character. We want the willing, obedient, humble character of your Son, the Lord Jesus, who made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant. Make us your servants and take us from among the people. And please, Lord, choose us! And we pray these things in the mighty and powerful name of Jesus, Amen.”