Read
“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
John 14:3
Reflect
One of this country’s most famous quotes was actually a promise. In March 1942, General Douglas MacArthur was ordered by President Franklin Roosevelt to abandon his command in Corregidor, Philippines. The battle in the Pacific wasn’t going well for the Americans, and MacArthur’s senior officers advised him that the best course of action was for him to retreat before he and his staff were captured by Japanese forces. The capture of a commander of MacArthur’s rank and prestige would have been devastating for the American troops.
So General MacArthur reluctantly gathered his family and fled for Australia. But before he left, he prominently assured his troops and the people of the Philippines, “I shall return.” It was a statement he would repeat many times before he was finally able to keep the promise. During that time, the Philippines were in a desperate situation. The Japanese took thousands of prisoners, and many of them died while they were in captivity. MacArthur’s troops had to wonder at times, “When will help arrive?”
It took more than two years, but on October 20, 1944, General MacArthur waded ashore on the island of Leyte. Later that day he declared in a radio broadcast, “People of the Philippines, I have returned!” His return to the Philippines signified a resurgence by United States forces, which were finally able to end the Japanese occupation of the nation in 1945.
We serve a Savior who wasn’t forced out but who chose to go ahead to make preparations for His followers’ arrival in Heaven. But before He left, he told us that He would return to gather those who follow Him. This world in which we live often looks like a desperate place, and it sometimes is a desperate place. Crime is out of control in some places and our economy seems to have wild mood swings. We’re not being held captive by a hostile military force, but we often have to contend with the result of a society that is increasingly godless and that has no respect for the Lord. It’s easy to wonder, “When will help arrive?”
Rest assured, our Savior will return just as He promised. It may be in our lifetime, and it might not. The Jewish people cried out for the coming of the Messiah, and He came (though they did not recognize Him). We similarly may cry out for His return – and He will come. Our Lord has not abandoned us and will not forget about us. Until He returns, let us not forget about or forsake Him. Let us be ready for Him when He arrives, having prepared ourselves through worship, prayer and the reading of scripture.
Reflection copyright © 2024 Doug DeBolt.
