SCRIPTURE FOCUS
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6
PRAYER FOCUS - Wonderful Counselor
For the past ten days, we have looked at statements Jesus made about Himself. Now we are going to continue to fix our eyes on Jesus by looking at some statements that were made about Jesus. This verse is one usually sung at Christmas in the beautiful Handel’s Messiah. The prophet Isaiah prophesied about the coming of the Messiah, giving us four names to describe Him. The first name is “Wonderful Counselor.”
Jesus is the Wonderful Counselor. The word "wonderful" means extraordinary or marvelous. A counselor is one who advises. Jesus came to bring us the most marvelous counsel or advice. When He was only 12 years old, the teachers in the temple were amazed at His understanding and answers (Luke 2:47). As creator of the universe, He comprehends all knowledge. Fully God and fully man, Jesus is truly extraordinary – able to understand our needs and able to supply answers for all those needs. There is no situation that is beyond the scope of His understanding. He embodies the Wisdom of God. He is the Wonderful Counselor!
RESPONSE
Life can be incredibly complex. However, Jesus has the answers to the most complex question. What might be an area of your life in which you need advice or counsel? You do not have to figure life out on your own. You can come to Jesus with any question or problem. Nothing is too big for Him. Not only that, He invites you to come to Him. James wrote in his letter, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5). So today, let’s bring those gnarly problems to His throne of grace and find “grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:6).
What is the area of your life you need advice in today? Write it down somewhere, and then pause. Write out what you think Jesus might encourage you to do. Remember, God will always speak truth that is encouraging and aligned with the Bible!