Wonderful Counselor

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be calledWonderful Counselor,1, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6 NIV)

We have a Wonderful Counselor in Jesus Christ. For He is the wisdom of God2. When Jesus is born in our hearts we learn to live by this wisdom of God.

He is a Wonderful Counselor. That means that if we follow His counsels we will be led in the right paths and direction: “His God instructs him and teaches him the right way” (Isaiah 28:26 NIV) It is wonderful because through His counsel we are given insight into common things that we see and observe: “All this also comes from the Lord Almighty, wonderful in counsel and magnificent in wisdom” (Isaiah 28:29 NIV). Through that we learn more about God’s ways in His dealings with us.

He is One who is able to see the root cause of everything affecting us. Even we sometimes only see the outward signs of things. We act on them. That leads to even more trouble. But since He is able to see beneath the surface of things, His counsel would help us avoid or overcome the trouble. For He says: “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind” (Jeremiah 17:10a NIV). And King David said: “For the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts” (1 Chronicles 28:9b NIV). Since we fail to understand much of our own motives, following His counsel always helps as He knows our every motive. Therefore He is a Wonderful Counselor.

Then it should be noted that there is no time when His counsel is absent. Even when we sleep He counsels us: “I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me” (Psalm 16:7 NIV). The counsels that we receive from God keep working in our hearts during night too. As we take time to be quiet before God after a busy day our mind slowly comes to a peaceful rest in His presence. It is then that His counsels become instructions which contain practical wisdom on which we can act the next day. Therefore He is wonderful in counsel.

Oh, let us cherish His counsel. Then, “Whether you turn to the right or the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, `This is the way; walk in it’ ” (Isaiah 30:21 NIV). But many times we run without waiting for God’s counsel. And many times God also laments about this: “But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me” (Psalm 81:11 NIV). In another place God cries out: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go. If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea” (Isaiah 48:17b, 18 NIV).

IF ONLY! That is God’s sad cry today. If only we had listened He would have given us peace. Others would have seen that God’s hand is with us.

Maybe God will still help. If only we humble ourselves and seek His counsel. Therefore let us seek His counsel earnestly now. And may this Christmas help us to know Jesus as our Wonderful Counselor.


1 Emphasis added by author.
2 1 Corinthians 1:24

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