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Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Psalm 48 - God is our God, He Will Be Our Guide Even Unto Eternity!
Psalm 48 with comments by
Dennis Edwards
48:1-2 Great is
the Lord, and greatly to be
praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of His
holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount
Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.
We seem to be continuing to
be meditating on the Reign of Christ on earth during the Millennium. One of the
reasons that the Jewish people rejected Jesus, was they were expecting a King
that would rule and reign over the ungodly, and make them great again. They
could only see the prophecies of Messiah the King and ruler over all the earth.
They did not see the suffering servant who would lay down His life and be the
sacrificial Lamb that all the sacrifices from the time of Adam, Noah, Abraham,
Moses, and beyond pointed to.
Again, in Zechariah,
we see that when Jesus returns to begin that 1,000-year reign on the earth, he
lands on Mount Zion, in Jerusalem.
“Behold, the day of the Lord
comes, and your spoil shall be divided in the midst of you. For I will gather
all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the
houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half the city shall go forth into
captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city,” Zechariah
14:1-2.
The Antichrist forces are
coming against Jerusalem as has been prophesized in various places. We will
look at Ezekiel 38 for a moment.
“After many days you shall be
visited: in the latter years you shall come into the land that is brought back
from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of
Israel, which have always been waste, but is brought forth out of the nations,
and they shall dwell safely all of them. You shall ascend and come like a
storm, you shall be like a cloud to cover the land, you, and all your bands,
and many people with you,” Ezekiel 38:8-9.
If we go back to verses 1-6
of the chapter, we see we are talking about the invasion of Israel from the
land of Magog by the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, together with Persia
(Iran), Ethiopia, Libya, Gomer, Togarmah (Turkey), and many people with you. We
will continue to read from Ezekiel.
“And you shall come from your
place out of the north parts, you, and many people with you,” Ezekiel 38:15a.
The Jewish scholars for
centuries have conjectured that the words “north parts,” in the above verse,
actually signify “the extreme north.” Therefore, many ancient expositors
believe that the land of Magog from where the prince of Meshech and Tubal comes
from is to the extreme north of Israel, not just to the north. Turkey is to the
north and has one of the largest standing armies in the Middle East. However,
to the extreme north, we find Russia who in recent years has been friends with
the Arabs, friends with Iran, and friends with Turkey. Russia has one of the
largest active armies in the world.
“And you shall come up
against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the
latter days, and I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know
me, when I shall be sanctified in you, O Gog, before their eyes. Thus says the
Lord God; Are you he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the
prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would
bring you against them?” Ezekiel 38:16-17.
God is going to be sanctified
in Gog, in that He will use Gog to judge Israel for her sins which she has
committed against the Palestinian peoples, and which she has committed against
other nations such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Syria, manipulating the
America military as her tool.
But as we have seen in Zechariah
12 & 13, there will be a great repentance by the Jewish people at the
time of the rapture and 1/3 of the nation shall come to faith in Jesus. It is
at that point, that God can now intervene in Israel’s behalf and turn His
judgments on Gog, who is the Antichrist, and rescue the remnant of Israel. Read
Ezekiel 38:18-23, and Ezekiel 39:1-7 for the full story.
It is at that point, at the
end of the wrath of God that Jesus comes back, defeats the Antichrist, and
takes over Jerusalem and Israel.
“Then shall the Lord go forth,
and fight against those nations, as when He fought in the day of battle. And
His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before
Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst
thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great
valley; and half the mountain shall remove toward the north, and the other half
of it toward the south…And the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with
You,” Zechariah 14:3-4&5b.
Therefore, when Jesus comes
back, He is going to land on the Mount of Olives near to where He had been
crucified and buried.
“And it shall be in that day,
that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former
sea (the Mediterranean Sea), and half of them toward the hinder sea (the Dead
Sea): in summer and in winter shall it be. And the Lord shall be king over all
the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and His name one,” Zechariah
14:8-9.
Jesus is the living waters of
the Spirit and whosoever drinks of Him shall be saved. But on the physical
level, Jesus will send out living waters to the east and to the west at that
time. We remember that during the 75 days of the Wrath of God the waters on the
earth: the sea, the rivers, and the fountains of waters, had all become blood, Revelation
16:3-4. On His arrival, Jesus immediately sends out living waters to
refresh and save the people still living on the earth. Interesting enough, Gaza
is to the east of Jerusalem and the West Bank is to the west. Both are occupied
with a Moslem populations who have suffered in almost concentration camp
conditions for many years.
Psalm 48:3 God is
known in her palaces for a refuge.
God is a refuge for the poor
and afflicted many of whom have had little chance to hear the Gospels in the
countries in which they live. Moslem countries, communist counties, Hindu
countries, etc. have made it difficult for the Gospel to be preached. Many of
the poor of the world who received not Jesus as a result of where they were
born, will have their chance in the new Millennium period.
“The Lord is a refuge for the
oppressed, a strong hold in times of trouble,” Psalm 9:9. “For You have
been a refuge for the helpless, a defence for the needy in their distress, a
shelter from the storm, and a shade from the heat,” Isaiah 25:4. “The
Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in
Him,” Nahum 1:7. Maybe these poor who refused the Mark of the beast, or
their countries were so poor that it couldn’t be implemented there, maybe these
are the “blessed meek,” which Jesus said, would “inherit the earth,” Matthew
5:5.
Psalm 48:4-7 For, lo,
the kings were assembled, they passed by together. They saw
it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away. Fear
took hold upon them there, and pain, as of a woman in travail. You break
the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.
Are these the same “shields
of the earth” from the last psalm, which we understood were the leaders of the
remnant nations of the earth, who submit to the new Millennium King? In Ezekiel
39 we see the condition around Jerusalem after Christ’s arrival.
“And it shall come to pass in
that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the
valley of passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the
passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all this multitude…And seven
moths shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the
land. Yes, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them
a renown the day that I shall be glorified, says the Lord God,” Ezekiel 39:11-13.
Psalm 48:8 As we
have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the
city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah.
“And it shall come to pass in
the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in
the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations
shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come, and let us go up to
the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach
us His ways, and we will walk in His paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the
law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem,” Isaiah 2:2-3.
“And it shall come to pass,
that everyone that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem
shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and
to keep the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whoso will not come up
of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord
of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain,” Zechariah 14:16-17.
Psalm 48:9-10 We have thought of Your
lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of Your temple. According
to Your name, O God, so is Your praise
unto the ends of the earth: Your right
hand is full of righteousness.
The Lord had said through
Isaiah the prophet,
“I have sworn by Myself, the
word is gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto
Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear,” Isaiah 45:23.
Apostle Paul, the former
Jewish Rabbi and up and coming leader of the Pharisees, tells us,
“That at the name of Jesus
every knee shall bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things
under the earth. And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of God the Father,” Philippians 2:10-11.
Psalm 48:11-13 Let
mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, because of Your
judgments. Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof. Mark
well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that you may
tell it to the generation following.
God’s judgments are true and
righteous altogether. We learn to love and fear the Lord through our straying
from the straight and narrow path. “Now no chastening (or correction) for the
present seems to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless, afterward it yields the
peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby,” Hebrews
12:11.
Psalm 48:14 For this
God is our God for ever and ever: He will
be our guide even unto death.
Expositors say that instead
of “death,” we should think, “eternity.” For those that love God will never meet
for the last time, but will enter eternity, the eternal now, and live forever
and ever. “For eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the
heart of man, the things that God has prepared for them that love Him,” 1
Corinthians 2:9.
“And I
saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were
passed away; and there was no more sea. And I
John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I
heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with
men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself
shall be with them, and be their God. And God
shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death,
neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the
former things are passed away,” Revelation 21:1-4.
“And He that
sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said
unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And He said
unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will
give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that
overcomes shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son,” Revelation
21:4-7.
“Blessed is he that reads,
and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are
written therein: for the time is at hand,” Revelation 1:3.
Originally published March 4, 2025.
Let Jesus Restore You
Audio length: 12:18
Download Audio (11.2MB)
In a world of constant pressure and stress, prayer is like a spiritual decompression chamber.
Jesus knew that.
When you read the Gospels, you see him again and again stepping away from crowds, demands, and expectations to spend time alone with his Father. “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35).
This wasn’t occasional. It was habitual. “Many people came to hear Jesus and to be healed of their sicknesses, but Jesus often slipped away to be alone so he could pray” (Luke 5:15–16).
If Jesus needed that space with the Father, how much more do you?
You might be thinking, “I’m too busy to spend extended time in prayer.” But the truth is this: You’ll have nothing left to give if you don’t first let God refill you. Ministry drains. Prayer restores.
Scripture reminds us, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). It’s in unhurried, quiet moments with God that he recharges, renews, and restores your soul. And as your load becomes heavier, this time with God becomes more essential—not less.
So how do you make space to listen to God?
Start by being still for an extended moment. Find a quiet place outside, in your office, or in a corner of your home. Sit before the Lord and simply ask, “God, is there anything you want to say to me?” Then resist the urge to rush. Be still. Listen.
God may bring a thought to mind. He may lead you to a passage of Scripture and speak through his Word. If worries keep intruding, let Scripture redirect your attention and allow God’s truth to quiet what your mind keeps replaying.
God wants to speak to you, not just through you. He’s not asking for another performance or prayer report. He’s inviting you to come away with him, to be filled again before you pour yourself out.
Make space.
Be still long enough to listen.
Let him restore you.—Pastors.com1
*
Solitude, the state of being alone, is often considered one of the traditional spiritual disciplines. Many times it is associated with silence. The idea is to be alone with God, to pray, to meditate on His Word, and to simply enjoy His presence. Some people use solitude to distance themselves from the distractions of the world, acknowledge the interior of their hearts, and hear God speak. Being alone can also be used as a time of rest and refreshment. …
Jesus “often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16). … [Solitude] can be a time of knowing God more deeply, a time of strengthening, a time of refreshment, a time of sharing our deepest concerns with God, and a time of simply being with the One who formed us and loves us beyond our understanding.
Another benefit of periodic times of solitude is that such times allow us to refocus ourselves on what is truly important. … We don’t want the “worries of this life” to choke out the Word (Mark 4:19). Rather, we want to spend time with Jesus and, like Mary of Bethany, sit at His feet hearing His word (Luke 10:39).—Got Questions2
*
Jesus made it a priority to spend time alone, praying and connecting with the Father. He often stepped away from regular daily activities to connect with God and cry out to Him in prayer in times of distress. Retreating for prayer in isolation with God was a critical aspect of Jesus’ ministry. …Jesus often withdrew to isolated places to pray (Luke 5:16).
Jesus intentionally communicated with God through prayer by Himself (Luke 6:12).
Jesus prayed in a solitary place at various times of the day (Mark 1:35).
After teaching the crowds, Jesus retreated to pray alone (Matthew 14:23).
When in danger from opposition, Jesus went to the mountain by Himself (John 6:15).
After hearing about John the Baptist’s death, Jesus withdrew by Himself to a desolate place (Matthew 14:13).
Before His crucifixion, Jesus separated Himself from the disciples in Gethsemane to pray to the Father (Matthew 26:36–44; Mark 14:32–39; Luke 22:39–46).
Jesus instructed that regular prayer to the Father should be done in secret, behind closed doors, and not for our glory in public (Matthew 6:5–6). …
It is important to spend time alone with God because God is the source of our strength, and we need His strength to fight the spiritual battles of our lives (Ephesians 6:10–20; 1 Peter 5:8–9). The Christian life is one of continuous spiritual warfare. The Word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit, and prayer are among the spiritual weapons at our disposal (Hebrews 4:12; Ephesians 6:17–18). When we spend time alone with God, in prayer and in meditation on His Word, we are engaged in spiritual battle.
The Word of God is as food to the Christian soldier (Matthew 4:4); he dare not go a day without feasting on it. Prayer is like fresh air to the weary warrior; he dare not go a moment without it (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Spending time alone with God cannot be neglected if we are to be imitators of Christ (Luke 5:16; 6:12; Mark 1:35; Matthew 14:23). As we realize how much God loves us, we will desire to spend time alone with Him (Psalm 42:1). Though spending time in corporate worship, group Bible study, and prayer with other Christians is also important, time alone with God is absolutely critical to our relationship with Him. We spend time with God because it is a great pleasure (Psalm 1:2; 16:11). It is part of the abundant life Jesus came to bring (John 10:10).—Compelling Truth3
*
Looking back over the past year, I can see the benefits I’ve gained from spending quiet time with God in the morning, before the busy day begins. Here are some steps that have helped me get a spiritual boost that lasts the whole day. They just might work for you, too.
Unplug: As much as possible, I try to get away from distractions and disturbances such as electronic devices that are constantly popping up reminders, notifications, text and voice messages, and emails. I like to sit on our porch with just my Bible and a notebook and pen.
Relax: I’m someone who is very “task-oriented.” If I’m not careful, my quiet time can become just another to-do to check off. I have to consciously choose to relax and enjoy my time with God. He’s not in a hurry, so why should I be?
Be thankful: I start by writing down five things I’m thankful for from the previous day. This generally provides an instant mood lift. As God’s Word says, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name” (Psalm 100:4).
Follow a reading plan: Having a reading plan helps me get right to it. I also pray before starting, in case God wants to suggest a change.
Because I have a hard time focusing on what I’m reading, I have found the S.O.A.P. method helpful:
Scripture: After reading a Bible passage, I look back for a verse that particularly catches my attention, and I write it in a notebook.
Observation: I write a brief summary of the passage.
Application: I write about how my day will be different because of what I’ve read, lessons to learn, promises to claim, examples to follow, etc.
Prayer: I write out a short prayer for myself based on what I just read.
The early morning may not be the best time for everyone, but no matter what time we use in the day or night, we can all benefit from stepping back and spending time with God. Without it, we’ll get stressed and wear thin, but with it, we will be better prepared to tackle whatever challenges life may throw at us.—G.L. Ellens
Published on Anchor August 2026. Read by John Laurence. Music by Michael Fogarty.
1 “Prayer: Your Ministry Decompression Chamber,” pastors.com, https://www.pastors.com/free-resources/praydecompression-chamber.
2 “What does the Bible say about the value of solitude?” gotquestions.org, https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-solitude.html.
3 “Why should I spend time alone with God?” compellingtruth.org, https://www.compellingtruth.org/alone
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