I’m having a day.

My mood matches the overcast, cold, Michigan winter weather of January.

I have things to do -don’t we all?? But I am having trouble focusing.

It leads me to wonder if MY to-do list is as important as I thought it was. Is it so important that, in order to do it, I sacrifice my emotional well-being? Are my tasks worth telling myself that how I feel is not valid; that what I am concerned about (today) is not rational?

Trust me. I am rational.

Rational looks like a mom who misses her son while in grief over her friend while starting her last class in ministry school while raising her other son while working at a hospital while living during a global pandemic.

I read a quote that said an abnormal response to an abnormal situation is normal.

That about sums it up, doesn’t it?

Instead of beating myself up for looking out the window for an obscene amount of time, I am making the change to choose to focus on something else that I know will bring me peace of mind and heart:

the person of Jesus.

In Acts 19, we read about the apostle Paul in Ephesus where God was doing extraordinary miracles through him. What was being accomplished in the name of Jesus had been witnessed by Jewish leaders that were recognized as men who exorcized demons. These men used the example of Paul and called on the name of Jesus over those who had evil spirits saying,

“In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out”

Acts 19:13 NIV

The response?

“But the evil spirit retorted, “I know and recognize and acknowledge Jesus, and I know about Paul, but as for you…who are you??

Acts 19:15 AMP

Isn’t that an interesting dialogue?

These practitioners had latched onto the name of Jesus to use as an incantation, but they discovered that it was not enough to know the name of Jesus; they needed to know Jesus personally.

Amplified Study Bible Note

That is worthy of repeating:

it is not enough to know the NAME OF JESUS; it is needed to know the PERSON OF JESUS.

This is what has been impressed upon my heart~ to know more than the name of Jesus; to really know Him.

The last time I wrote it was about Jesus- our Emmanuel: God with us. Well, don’t be disappointed, but I am still going with an Advent-type theme here by using the words of Isaiah’s prophecy of the coming Messiah:

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

What does WONDERFUL COUNSELOR mean???

First of all, in Hebrew to be called something also means to be something. These are not nicknames for Jesus, anymore than Emmanuel is from my last blog. These are attributes of Christ. He is not called Wonderful Counselor; He IS the Wonderful Counselor.

Again, in Hebrew (I am looking through commentaries; I have not become an expert in the Hebrew language!) the word wonderful comes from a verb meaning to separate, to distinguish, or to make great.

The word wonderful or wonder is often applied to something that goes above and beyond the ordinary; like a miracle or what strikes a person as amazing. It would evoke the emotion of awe.

The Messiah will be wonderful in His person; both God and man in one. What He does will be as wonderful as who He is.

Other words that can be used in place of the description of wonderful are:

*marvelous

*magnificent

*glorious

*lovely

*delightful

*tremendous

*incredible

The word COUNSELOR can be explained as a person who provides advice. In today’s world, a trained counselor has their master’s degree in counseling/ marriage/family therapy/pastoral counseling/ or other related field and have met the required 600 hours of supervised practical experience after completing their schooling.

Of course there are quicker ways to become a therapist, but they would be considered more of a life coach as opposed to a person who is licensed to treat medically. Many people are able to give wise advice, but even they (even the wisest pastor) is encouraged to direct others to seek PROFESSIONAL help if or when the concern brought to the table appears to be more medical than situational.

Putting the two words together, WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, takes on a new level of understanding once we’ve expanded upon the meaning of the words.

Our Messiah is no ordinary advice giver.

Our Messiah: Wonderful Counselor.

His training goes beyond 600 hours of practical experience because He is the Alpha and the Omega: the beginning and the end.

He was the Word at the beginning! THE beginning…when all things were created. In Genesis 1: 26, God said “let US make man in OUR image, in OUR likeness..”

Our Messiah has more than a master’s degree or even a doctorate to qualify Him. Proverbs 2:6 writes that the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. In Proverbs 3:19, we read that it is by wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundation, by understanding he set the heavens in place and by his knowledge the deeps were divided and the clouds let drop the dew.

Where does wisdom come from that the Lord freely uses???

The fear of the Lord is the BEGINNING of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One IS understanding.

Proverbs 9:10 NIV

Wisdom begins WITH the Lord.

Why? Because He IS the counselor…the wonderful counselor.

Why is Jesus -the WONDERFUL COUNSELOR- something I need or someone to focus on?

Confession time, folks:

because I do not know everything.

I cannot see into the future to know what is coming and neither can my friends. I have been blessed with wise people that I can turn to for advice, but their advice is limited to what they know.

There have been times in my life that I figured if I asked everybody all around me for their input I would get the advice I seek coming from all angles.

Sounds like a good plan, right?

Except by going to different people when seeking specific advice I received conflicting counsel that confused and discouraged me while raising up my anxiety due to my increased uncertainty.

Now I need answers and have anxiety….great. Talk about not getting the solution I was looking for!

What happens when I turn to the Lord for His wonderful counsel? Do I get a concrete TURN LEFT HERE, AMY from Him?

Goodness I wish.

But, no.

God’s wonderful counsel looks more like, “trust Me…wait on Me…look to Me”.

How on earth is that advice???

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and LEAN NOT ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING. In all your ways acknowledge Him and HE WILL DIRECT YOUR PATH.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Can you see the wisdom there? And the benefit from following the advice?

Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you.

Psalm 55:22

Can you see it now??

Confidently approach the throne from which God gives grace so that we may receive mercy and find grace in our time of need.

Hebrews 4:16

How do you handle people that are mean to you or you don’t agree with? Jesus, the wonderful counselor, tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves.

What do you do when someone is succeeding in this world but you are not? Jesus, the wonderful counselor, tells us not to worry about other people’s fate and to just follow Him (John 21:22).

What about your finances?? Jesus spoke of how God took care of the sparrows and the lilies of the field so why doubt that He will take care of us. In Philippians 4:19 we are reminded that God will supply all of your NEEDS according to His riches in glory by Christ.

One more thing about a counselor:

Having Jesus by our side in flesh and blood would have been marvelous, wouldn’t it? It would have been seemingly easy to drop everything in our life and follow Him like the disciples did. It would have been easy to face the persecution and lack of comfort because we had Jesus performing miracles walking with us 24/7 (I’m being a little facetious as I doubt it would be all that easy, yet they did it).

However, Jesus told His disciples in John 14:16 that someone better would come in His absence. That there would be someone to do even greater works (more wonderful) because Jesus was leaving them to return to the Father.

This Helper would be with us forever. We are told He will abide with us. This Helper would be a COUNSELOR.

We have been given the Holy Spirit to comfort us, guide us, educate us, warn us, remind us…

We have a wonderful counselor 24/7.

We have THE Wonderful Counselor 24/7.

Focusing on Him when I am conflicted will guide me in the direction I need to go to find peace, to feel loved, to gain confidence, to obtain the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), to keep me in the presence of God.

He is more than I think and can do more than I can imagine.

Jesus is Wonderful Counselor.