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
On this date in 1944, one of the most famous promises in American military history was fulfilled.
In February 1942, General Douglas MacArthur was ordered by President Franklin Roosevelt to leave his headquarters on the Philippine island of Corregidor. The war in the Pacific wasn’t going well for the Americans, and MacArthur’s senior officers knew that the capture of a commander of his rank and prestige would have been devastating for the American troops.
So General MacArthur reluctantly departed for Australia with his family and several members of his staff. But after reaching Australia, he made a promise to 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 people of the Philippines faced desperate circumstances. 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 the beginning of the campaign to liberate the islands, which finally ended Japanese occupation 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. MacArthur hoped to fulfill his promise, but Jesus has already guaranteed that He will fulfill His. This world in which we live often looks like a desperate place, and it sometimes is a desperate place. Wars rage, families struggle, sickness claims lives, and evil often seems to prosper while good people suffer. We’re not necessarily being held captive by a hostile military force, but we know what it’s like to live in a world that desperately needs a Savior. 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. Two years must have seemed like an eternity to those awaiting MacArthur’s return. We’ve waited nearly 2,000 years for the return of our Savior, but the passing of time doesn’t diminish the certainty of His promise. For centuries, God’s people awaited the promised Messiah. And when the time was right, He came, though many 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 remain faithful through worship, prayer, and the reading of Scripture, living each day in anticipation of His return.
Reflection copyright © 2026 Doug DeBolt.
