Now go up into the hills, bring down timber, and rebuild my house. I will take pleasure in it and will be honored, says the Lord. Haggai 1.8

This verse is in the middle of the chapter on priorities where Haggai challenged the Jews returning from captivity that they had built their own houses while neglecting to rebuild the temple. I’ve been using it as a challenge to folks not to make excuses for not having their daily quiet time, for example. And the verse implies effort: “Now go up into the hills and bring down timber” sounds hard! But it’s commanded nonetheless.

But I’m learning a new application for this text as I find myself, at age 71, with my warranty running out! I’ve just had shoulder surgery on May 10, three weeks before I’m writing this. The shoulder surgery was scheduled quickly so that I’ll be able to have knee replacement surgery in August. And this “simple, out-patient” shoulder surgery wasn’t, AND I came home on oxygen, a complication caused by anesthesia and living at altitude.

Haggai 1.8 came to me as I’m getting back to the stationary bike for aerobic exercise and using the little breathing exerciser they sent me home with. I don’t want to do the work! But the word is clear: my body is God’s temple, too (I Corinthians 3.16), and God wants it rebuilt! And the rebuilding will be difficult.

But there’s a promise, also. The older Jews thought the new temple was puny compared with the previous one (Haggai 2.3). But God responds: “‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LORD Almighty.” (Haggai 2.9) My orthopedist says I will be better than I was before! And God seems to be saying that, too!

So I need to do the work! If you find that your warranty is running out at whatever age, let’s encourage each other to keep both our spiritual AND our physical houses in order.