Daily Verse
Thursday, August 20, 2026
Christ's Return
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Thursday's Reflection
Matthew 24:44 — Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Again and again, when Jesus spoke about His return, He landed on the same practical instruction: be ready. He did not give His followers a timeline to calculate or signs to obsess over so they could pinpoint the date. In fact, He said the opposite — the Son of Man will come at an hour you do not expect. The whole point of not knowing the time is that it keeps us always ready, rather than ready only when we think the moment has arrived. A servant who knew exactly when the master would return could afford to be lazy until the last minute. A servant who does not know must be faithful all the time.
Being ready is not about frantic fear or anxious sign-watching. Jesus pictured it simply as faithfulness in the ordinary duties of life — the servant found doing his job well when the master returns, whenever that may be. Readiness is not a special state we work ourselves into now and then; it is the settled condition of a life lived in daily relationship with God, with accounts kept short, sins confessed, and love active. The person who is walking closely with Christ today is ready for Him to come today. There is nothing to scramble to fix at the last moment, because there is no last moment being counted on.
This is actually a great mercy. Imagine the burden of trying to time our repentance perfectly, or of living carelessly and hoping to get right with God just before the end. Jesus frees us from that impossible game. He simply says: live ready, all the time, and then the timing does not matter. Whether He comes tonight or long after we have died, the faithful servant has nothing to fear and everything to look forward to. The uncertainty of the hour, far from being a source of anxiety, is His invitation to a life of constant, restful readiness.
Prayer: Lord, keep us always ready — not through anxious fear, but through daily faithfulness and a close walk with You. May You find us doing well the work You have given us, whenever You come. Free us from delay, and let us live prepared. Amen.