Today’s Bible Journaling comes from Isaiah 9:6, “For unto us a child is born, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” (NASB) The names of Jesus struck me, but mostly the name of Wonderful Counselor.
In researching what this means, I found a website called “Walk in the Word” by James MacDonald. (https://jamesmacdonald.com/jesus-the-wonderful-counselor/) He had some insightful things to say about the name given Jesus as Wonderful Counselor. As we read this passage in Isaiah, James MacDonald says, “Isaiah says, “His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor.” He’s not the angry counselor, the gruff counselor, or the disconnected counselor. He understands what we’re going through and can advise us while He accompanies us through whatever we are facing. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).” (CSB)
He also explained the meaning of Wonderful. It is not as we would think of today, but we need to look at it from the perspective of Isaiah. MacDonald says, “…the Hebrew word for wonderful is “pela” which actually means wonder or miracle. So the “wonderful” in Wonderful Counselor doesn’t just mean delightful and pleasing but also miraculous. He is a miracle-working Counselor who does what no one else can do for you. The biblical idea of counsel involves both careful listening and clear advising. It describes someone who is wise; someone who really knows how to live and will share that knowledge.”
Just think, Jesus is our miracle-working Counselor, someone who knows what we are going through, who guides us with wisdom and understanding. He also walks with us through those times when we are confused or do not understand the what’s and why’s of the situation. He directs our pathway. (Isaiah 48:17) Proverbs 16:9 says that He “establishes our steps.” (NIV)
He is far greater than any human counselor can be. People can only give advice, imperfect as we are, for we can offer only what we understand. God Himself, Jesus, has perfect understanding because He sees our lives from beginning to the end. He sees the whole picture, and we can only see a portion. He also knows what He wants to accomplish in our lives. He has a plan mapped out for us. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” (NIV) His plans are the best for our lives. We may think we have our lives all planned out, but they can’t supersede what God has in store for us. It’s up to us to decide to follow God’s plan for us or not. He has only good in mind for our lives. The end result is for our betterment, even if the situation may not seem good at the time, the result is for our good.
How many times have we gone through something that was so horrible that we would not want to ever repeat it? But once it is over and we’ve come through it victoriously, we have found that if it were not for the experience, where we are right now would never have come about if we had not gone through it. Jesus’ counseling, guiding, leading, and directing has brought us to a higher level of relationship with Him, and we have become stronger in the process.
I look back at my life and I can see His Hand in so many areas. I have often said that my life is an adventure with Jesus. I have had so many experiences that I never would have imagined when I was a young teenager. One example is my life with my first husband. When I was in high school, if someone would have told me that I would be on radio and television, I would have told them they were crazy, and yet God saw fit to have me meet my first husband and marry him, and enter the world of broadcasting, because he was a chief engineer of Christian radio and television and we found ourselves on the air in front of a mic or TV camera quite often. This was not something I had planned for myself, but Jesus guided me, “counseled” me, and led me into a life of ministry that has spanned almost 50 years.
I praise God for being my Counselor. Left to my own devices, I would have made a miserable mess out of my life. He knows and loves me, and He wants the best for me! Are you going through a time of difficulty or indecision? Look to Jesus, our Wonderful Counselor, He will walk with and guide you.
donnasmusings 