“And when He puts forth His own sheep, He goes before them, and the sheep follow Him: for they know His voice.” (John 10:4) Whenever the Shepherd moves His sheep, there’s a very short season of uncertainty. This happens to the sheep out of the sheepfold first. They sit out of the safety, exposed, waiting for the rest of the sheep and the direction of the Shepherd. Any change brings this insecurity. But because the sheep recognize the voice of the Shepherd, t

“-He that enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To Him the porter opens; and the sheep hear His voice: and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out.” (John 10:2,3) Jumping from the voice of God in the psalms to the voice of Jesus in John 10, we see a beautiful correlation. Jesus says His sheep can hear, or recognize or distinguish His voice, above the din of other voices of other shepherds. In a season of confusion and deception, learn

“The LORD sits upon the flood; yes, the LORD sits King forever. The LORD will give strength unto His people; the LORD will bless His people with peace.” (Psalm 29:10,11) God is powerful. God is the eternal King. His Word guides His people. Referring back once again to John 10:3, Jesus declares, “my sheep hear my voice and follow me.” When Jesus used “I AM” statements in the gospels, He was intentionally declaring Himself to be the Jehovah God of the Exodus.

“The voice of the LORD divides the flames of fire. The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of the LORD makes the hinds to calve and discovers the forests: and in His temple does everyone speak of His glory.” (Psalm 29:7-9) The voice of the LORD jumpstarts the seasons and causes new life to spring forth from His creatures. His voice shakes the forests and divides the flames. In the Scripture, God’s Son

“The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; yes, the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon. He makes them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.” (Ps 29:4-6) The power of God’s voice is evident in the results of God speaking: powerful, majestic, breaking the cedars and causing the nations to skip like young animals. If God’s voice is powerful enough to affect t

“The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thunders: the LORD is upon many waters.” (Psalm 29:3) Immense! The power of the voice of God can act as a catalyst for change in the lives of His created creatures. Like an echo rippling across the stormy sea, the voice of God has the ability to proclaim, “Peace, be still,” and effect change in our circumstances. As we contemplate the power and authority of God’s voice, may we learn to trust His Wor

“Give unto the LORD, O you mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.” (Psalm 29:1,2) This majestic psalm is all about the voice of God. In a season of deception, practicing honing-in on the truth of God’s voice is a survival strategy. Just like Jesus in John 10 sharing that “His sheep hear His voice and follow Him,” the verses in Psalm 29 have us focusing on the

“For this God is our God for ever and ever: He will be our Guide even unto death.” (Psalm 48:14) This glorious prophecy trilogy of Psalm 46,47, and 48 will finish with one final exaltation of God, our King. Jehovah is our Eternal God. And He is our Faithful Guide through life, through death, and into an eternity future, full of hope and light and energy. As we anticipate the Kingdom, let’s practice getting to know our God better now. Even today, we can study

“Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers of it. Mark well her bulwarks, consider her palaces; that you may tell it to the generation following.” (Psalm 48: 12,13) One regular pastime of the Kingdom will be tours of the capital city of Jerusalem. Tour guides will point out historical accounts and architectural tidbits for eager travelers to this beautiful city. Imagine the joy of being one such tour guide! Believers coming to honor King Jesus

“Let Mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Jerusalem be glad, because of Your judgments.” (Psalm 48:11) During God’s perfect Kingdom, women and children will be perpetually safe from violence or even disrespect. God honors women. Jesus loved them as His loyal and generous followers. Today, women and girls live at risk of harm. But the Kingdom will be different. That one-thousand-year reign will protect, honor, and revere women of all ages, freeing them to

“According to Your name, O God, so is Your praise unto the ends of the earth; Your right hand is full of righteousness.” (Psalm 48:10) During the Kingdom, God Himself will guide our praise and worship, teaching His ways, confirming His attributes. For one thousand years, He will teach our children, personally. He will lead us to know and adore Him. He will inhabit the praises of His people. God is righteous, earns our love, and rules His Kingdom perfectly. H

Psalm 48:9 of this prophecy trilogy proclaims, “We have thought of Your lovingkindess, O God, in the midst of Your temple.” Psalm 46.47, and 48 leads us through despair to victory, to a Kingdom, and a King. The preoccupation of Kingdom citizens will be meditating on the goodness of God forever. In His temple, in the streets of Jerusalem the capital, and throughout the Kingdom, loyal subjects of God, the King, will contemplate all the mercy and grace and love

Psalm 48:8 gives the result of the attempt to thwart God’s rule, “As we have heard, so have we see in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God; God will establish it forever. Selah.” No one will be able to stand against what God stands for! He fortifies His city, Jerusalem. He fortifies its residents. He strengthens His authority. As we face uncertain times, ruled by deeply evil men, let’s focus our gaze on the beauty and calm of the Kingdom, an

“For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together. They saw it, and so they marveled; 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.” Psalm 48:4-7, speaks of a last attempt of humanity seeking its own will instead of submitting to God’s plan. Other areas of Scripture confirm this concept of a short season of rebellion followed by an eternal Kingdom

God Himself, His glory and holiness, will alter the city of Jerusalem. Psalm 48:2,3 offer, “Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is known in her palaces for a refuge.” The God who gave Himself as the refuge in Psalm 46:1 is now worshipped for the haven He provided. This prophecy trilogy holds out hope that God will lend His beauty to the city of Jerusalem and be adored

Psalm 48:1 proclaims as part of the prophecy trilogy, “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness.” Psalm 46,47, and 48 are a trilogy. Showing the defeat of darkness, the start of the Kingdom, and the capital of this new golden era, these psalms add hope to our weary world. Psalm 48:1 proclaims the glory of the city of God and the glory of the God of that city. Jerusalem will shine as a beacon of righ

Psalm 47:2 … “-the LORD…is a great King over all the earth.” To sum up this psalm, let’s look forward to the start of the Kingdom and the reign of the King, Jesus Christ. Jesus will be honored, obeyed, and admired by the people of earth. Often, we grow weary in well doing during this age of deception. But Jesus encouraged us to seek the kingdom like a rare pearl or hidden treasure. It will be worth any sacrifice and satisfy any desire. Look

“God reigns over the heathen: God sits upon the throne of His holiness. For the princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham: for the shields of the earth belong to God.” (Psalm 47:8,9) Willingly submit…every people and tribe and language will place themselves under the reign of God, the King, starting the Kingdom Age, with complete compliance. This season will be glorious. Without the taint of sin and the lure of greed,

“Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises unto our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth: sing praises with understanding.” (Psalm 47:6,7) Kingdom worship by grateful subjects will be an amazing opportunity for the Kingdom subjects of the incredible King, God. This choir will require a new understanding of God’s sovereignty and power to do the worship justice. Heads up to all you musicians, you may be called upon t

“God is gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.” (Psalm 47:5) After a season of seven years of judgment, God will start His kingdom by celebrating His own victory. What a glorious time of rejoicing with God about this amazing time in human history, the Kingdom Age. Things seem bad now. Any they will get much worse. But God is always in control. May we trust God, our King, and anticipate the celebration of this next seaso