Daily Verse
Monday, August 17, 2026
Christ's Return
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Monday's Reflection
Titus 2:13 — Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.
William Miller was an American farmer, and for much of his early life a skeptic who doubted the Bible. But after his conversion he became a devoted student of Scripture, determined to understand it for himself. He was especially drawn to the prophecies, and as he studied them carefully, year after year, he became convinced of one overwhelming truth: that Jesus Christ was going to return, and that His coming was near. What began as one farmer's private study eventually spilled out into public preaching, and it struck a nerve. In the early nineteenth century, at a time when many had let the hope of Christ's return grow cold, Miller called people to look up again.
The effect was remarkable. Across America, tens of thousands of people were awakened to the blessed hope. They studied their Bibles, repented of their sins, mended broken relationships, and lived with an eager, joyful expectation that they might soon see their Lord. It was a genuine revival of the very hope the New Testament is soaked in — the longing for the glorious appearing of Jesus. When the time they had fixed their hopes on passed and Jesus did not return as they had expected, they were left with a deep and bitter disappointment. Many walked away discouraged. But some kept studying, kept trusting, and out of that faithful remnant grew a movement that has treasured the promise of Christ's soon return ever since.
Miller's life leaves us with a hope purified by humility. The blessed hope itself is utterly sure — Christ is coming, exactly as He promised. But Jesus also told us plainly that no one knows the day or the hour, that the Father alone holds the times in His hand. So we hold this hope the way we are meant to: with our hearts fully awake and expectant, watching and ready, yet leaving the timing to God. The point was never to calculate the date. The point was to be found looking for Him, living every day as people who genuinely love His appearing.
Prayer: Lord, rekindle in us the blessed hope that once awakened a generation — the eager, joyful longing for Your appearing. Keep our hearts awake and watching, trusting the timing to You, and living every day as those who truly love Your coming. Amen.