His name will be called—“Wonderful Counselor.” One of the first questions an expecting mother gets is, “Do you know what you’re having?” Some women are anxious and eager to know their baby’s gender, while others like to keep it old fashion and surprising. Knowing what you’re having in advance definitely has its advantages. Long before Mary conceived the Messiah-child, the prophet Isaiah prophesied what she was having.
Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Mary would give birth to a Son who would be called “Wonderful Counselor.” This was more than a title given to a child, it was part of the calling on His life. Perhaps you’ve been to a good counselor before, but let me tell you what makes Jesus-Messiah such a Wonderful Counselor. He always has an opening anytime you need to talk. That means He is there when you need Him. On top of that, He already knows the issues we are struggling with and trying to work through before we open our mouth. In some counseling sessions you are only allotted a certain amount of time to open up and share and then receive guidance, but Jesus is able to spend as much time with you as you need. His services are absolutely free and you can come back as often as you need. As a Wonderful Counselor, Jesus will never mislead you or give you advice that would worsen the circumstance, but He will always advise you towards the right path. Whatever it is, He can help you get through it. Our Wonderful Counselor holds to the strictest standards when it comes to confidentiality and only shares with those He knows will pray for you. His counseling also comes with a guarantee, and the guarantee is that you will feel at peace before you leave His presence. Let me ask you, do you need counseling? In reality, we all need time with the Wonderful Counselor.
Recently my wife brought to me a problem. It was a small floor heater she used in her office that had suddenly stopped working. Without hesitation I started looking it over and then commenced to taking it apart. In my mind this was something I could fix and save the money on buying another one. It wasn’t long after the heater was handed to me that it was laying on the counter all in pieces. Nothing I tried gave any hope of salvaging the heater, saving a little cash and boosting my ego. Shortly after I surrendered to the obvious and tossed the heater in the trash I thought, there are some things God doesn’t want us to fix. This stands true not only for material things with nuts and bolts and wires and programs, but it’s also true for the people around you. There’s certainly nothing wrong with wanting to help fix the problems of the people you love and even complete strangers, but if do, how will they ever know their need for God? About a month ago a young lady approached me with a problem and she was wanting some guidance on a decision she needed to make concerning her two jobs. I listened and asked a few questions, but the Lord stopped me from telling her what I would do. I told her that she was in a great place to which she looked at me very strange. I began talking to her about drawing near to the Lord to hear what He has to say about her situation. I take great joy in giving answers and trying to fix people’s problems, but I know also if we fix everything we may get in the way of what God was doing. I could not fix the heater, but it was not beyond repair. It simply needed to get into the right hands, right? You don’t need to fix every problem and the truth is, God won’t let you. God wants us to direct people to Him so they can find out for themselves about His love, mercy, and power.
A desperate father brought his sick son the the disciples, but they could not fix the problem. Matthew 17:16-17 “So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.” 17 Then Jesus answered and said, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” Most likely you will run into someone with a problem today. God may want you to help, but even if you can, listen fir God to say to you, “Bring him here to Me.”
One of the most challenging assignments in the military has to be that of a sniper. Snipers are unique individuals highly trained with their weapon and disciplined to remain statue-like still in the midst of unfavorable conditions. They also must be willing to take kill shots from great distances and then willing to live with their actions. Snipers understand their life depends on the ability to strategically position themselves and remain hidden. Very few soldiers qualify for this critical duty, and those who do are exceptional and remain silent about their exploits.
You must know also that Satan has his own highly skilled snipers who’s goal is to take you out. If you ever become a target because you are a threat and show to be working for the kingdom of God and making extraordinary advances, just be consciously aware there is a sniper in the distance with cross hairs on you waiting for the perfect circumstance to pull the trigger. These satanic snipers have taken many of God’s people out of the service of the Lord. They blend into the environment of your circumstance so well, you think it was something else or someone else that hit you. I know about satanic snipers because I’ve been hit more than once, and only by the grace and power of God I’m still serving in the Lord’s kingdom today. So as you mature in your faith, understand this truth and don’t be an easy target! And whatever you do, don’t let the enemy take you out.
—Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
—Ephesians 6:11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil.
Some people are slower than others when it comes to understanding. Recently, I was sent an article to read and in it there were terms and acronyms that I didn’t understand. It took me a little while, but I finally began to understand what the writer was saying. There are subjects and abstract truths that are more challenging for some than others. Decades ago, special classes were made in schools for those who were not able to keep the learning pace with the others. What I have found is that this educational pace applies in more than academics. This is an another amazing thing that God has slipped in on humanity. Those who may be slow in understanding mathematical formulas, sentence structures and processes can be quick to understand the love of God and receive it.
Think about it, God has placed you in a school called life, and understanding what life is all about is what many struggle with. What good is it to be intellectually astute and admired by the cultured in today’s society, but spiritually ignorant and completely ignored by heaven? Jesus put it this way, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and yet loses his soul?” Matthew 16:25
For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, [are called.] But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29
No matter what your education level is, God in heaven reaches down and gives you opportunity to get a higher education in the spirit. No matter what your intellectual level is, at some point there has to be the understanding that there is no pathway to eternal life that does not go to the cross of Jesus Christ. No one passes the cross and moves on to eternal life without a complete confession and surrender of their life. We could never pass the eternal life exam no matter how much we studied, but that is where the understanding comes clear—Jesus Christ took the exam, made the A+ and gave us the credit. Hallelujah!