And He Will Be Called: 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 called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

For many of us, our first prayer is a cry for help. Often, we're looking for a way out of some mess in which we've found -- or, usually, gotten -- ourselves. This cry for salvation will set the tone for our relationship with Him in the future. Salvation from sin. Help from trouble. And of course, there's nothing wrong with this -- it is in Jesus' very nature to assist in time of need. 

But sometimes, I find myself crying out for help because of a failure on my own part: the failure to look to Him first for guidance. We look at Scripture, and find Jesus healing, and preaching, and prophesying... but we don't look beyond to see Him as the Wonderful Counselor. The wise friend we can trust to be honest, forthright, and -- importantly -- always right. 

It's easy to go to our friends for advice on finances, or our marriage, or our children. But what about Jesus? I admit, I sometimes forget to ask Him. I'll ask advice from my dad, my friends, my pastor -- all of whom can offer wise counsel, for sure. But then I forget to ask God what He would have me do. 

Job was somebody in dire need of good counsel. His friends sought to give him advice, and failed miserably. His wife offered equally horrific advice ("curse your God and die," I believe). But through the noise, Job remembered where to look for true wisdom: “To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his." (Job 12:13)

David, whose life was often fraught with threat and trouble, also knew to whom he could turn when he needed a word of wisdom. "I will praise the Lord who counsels me," he says in Psalm 16:7. "Even at night, my heart instructs me."

This week, I'm taking the time out to reflect on the names of the Messiah, given in Isaiah 9. Today, I remember He is rightly called "Wonderful Counselor," and it is my prayer that I take His name to heart. When I need advice, a word of wisdom, my God and my Savior is also my Wonderful Counselor, and I can always trust in His word.