It's Almost Time

May 18, 2026

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DEVOTIONAL

It's Almost

Time.

He hasn't forgotten His promise.
He's extending His grace.

MATTHEW 24:36 · 2 PETER 3:9 May 18, 2026

5 min read

ook at the world long enough and you will arrive at a conclusion that no human system, ideology, or leader has ever been able to escape: we cannot fix this. Not fully. Not permanently. Every solution creates new problems. Every generation inherits the unresolved failures of the last. Violence, injustice, grief, fear — they are not glitches. They are symptoms of something far deeper than politics or policy can reach.

And yet the Bible does not leave us there. It makes a promise — bold, specific, and staked entirely on the character of God — that a day is coming when Jesus returns and everything changes. Not improved. Not managed. Changed. The only question for every person alive today is whether they will be ready when it comes.

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THE TRUTH

No One Knows. But It's Coming.

In Matthew 24:30–36, Jesus describes His return in unmistakable terms — the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, angels gathering His chosen ones from every corner of the earth. It is not a quiet event. It is not symbolic. And then, immediately after painting this picture, He says something that cuts through every prediction and every confident claim about when:

Matthew 24:36 · New International Version · BibleGateway ↗

"But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

No one. Not the angels. Not even Jesus in His earthly ministry. Only the Father. The fact that the hour is unknown does not mean the event is uncertain. The promise is firm. The return is coming.

And here is the part that should stop you: the delay is not a failure. It is not God forgetting or losing track of the timeline. 2 Peter 3:9 says it plainly — He is not slow. He is patient. He is holding the door open because He does not want a single person to be lost. The wait is an act of mercy. Every day that passes without His return is one more day for someone to come home.

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THE CALL

While You Wait, Don't Waste It.

So what do you do while you wait? The same thing every generation of believers has had to do when the wait felt too long — you go back to what Jesus said. You look at what He has already done. And you let that be enough to keep moving.

1 Thessalonians 5:2 says He will come like a thief in the night — without warning, without announcement. Which means the only reasonable response is not to predict, but to prepare. Make disciples. Remain faithful. Pray without stopping. Don't give up. Live like people who actually believe He's coming back.

Because what comes after is everything. Revelation 21:3–5 describes it in terms so complete they almost don't fit inside human language: God dwelling with His people. No more death. No more sorrow. No more crying. No more pain. "I am making everything new." That is the finish line. And it is worth every day of faithful waiting to get there.

→	REFLECT ON THIS

A Few Questions to Sit With

1. When you think about the return of Christ, is your honest reaction one of hope and anticipation — or anxiety and uncertainty? What does that tell you about where your trust actually is?

2. The delay is grace — God holding the door open. Is there someone in your life who still hasn't walked through that door? How can you be part of why God is still waiting?

3. If Jesus returned today, what would He find you doing? And if that answer makes you uneasy — what is one thing you want to change starting this week?

→	A CLOSING PRAYER

Lord, thank You that the wait is not silence — it is grace. Thank You that every day You haven't returned is a day You've left the door open for someone else to come home. Keep us from wasting the wait. Make us faithful in the meantime — making disciples, staying close to You, living like people who actually believe You're coming back. We are ready, Lord. Come. In Jesus' name, amen.

Who came to mind while you were reading this?

Someone in your life might need this exact truth today. Sending it takes ten seconds — and it might be the thing that shifts their whole week.

FURTHER READING

Go Deeper

→	Matthew 24 — The Full Olivet Discourse → BibleGateway

Read Jesus' complete teaching on the last days in one sitting. Verse 36 lands completely differently when you've read everything He says before it — the warnings, the signs, the call to readiness.

→	What Is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ? → GotQuestions.org

A clear, thorough answer to the foundational question — what the Bible actually teaches about Christ's return, why it matters, and what it means for believers today.

→	Are We Living in the Last Days? → Desiring God

A grounded, biblically careful look at what "last days" means in Scripture — and what it means to live with the urgency and hope the New Testament calls us to.

→	Why Hasn't Jesus Come Back Yet? → Crosswalk

A direct, pastoral answer to the question this devotional raises — what the delay means, why God is still waiting, and how we are called to live in the meantime.

→	Hope of Glory Reading Plan → YouVersion · Bible.com

A daily reading plan on the hope of Christ's return — perfect for keeping the message of this devotional alive throughout the week.

CARRY THE TRUTH WITH YOU

A Daily Reminder of What You're Waiting For

Faith isn't just about where you've been — it's about where you're headed. Our apparel is a daily anchor: a quiet reminder of the journey you're on and the One you're walking it with.