Light for December

“For unto 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. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” ~Isaiah 9:6-7

This is one of my favorite Christmas verses which may seem strange to some since it comes from a book written hundreds of years before the birth of Christ but if you look at history you’ll see many prophecies that point to the birth of the Messiah. This one, however, is my favorite because it’s such a clear and beautiful picture of the character of God which I’m sure gave His people so much hope through the centuries…The hope that one day a child would be born that would be a counselor, father, prince and ultimately a friend. Here’s the incredible part... it’s all still true but we don’t have to wait for Him because He is already here!

See, He’s my Wonderful Counselor and the one I can go to for wisdom and guidance. James 1:5 tells us that the Lord will give wisdom freely if we ask Him. He wants you to come to Him with you worries, concerns, struggles, hopes and fears. He is there to guide and direct you in every facet of life and you only need ask for His power. It’s so easy to run to friends and family when you need guidance and I truly believe that the Lord puts godly wisdom in our lives but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t talk to Him as well.

He’s also a Mighty God that still has incredible power. I think some people feel the Lord’s overwhelming, miraculous works are limited to the Old Testament or the Gospels but the Lord is still ever present and ever powerful, however, we often miss out because we don’t ask, have little faith or because His answers don’t look like we expect. Start talking to the Savior about all parts of your life, big and small. He cares and He wants to intervene for His children. Stop trying to figure life out on your own because that’s just not going to happen. You have direct access to the Mighty God why would you ignore that? Crawl in His lap and have a nice long chat. I promise you won’t regret it!

Speaking of crawling up in God’s lap, He is also our Everlasting Father. Father is one of my favorite descriptors of God and one that I think the world, outside of believers, don’t often recognize but let me tell you, if you ever come face to face with the Holy Father you will be overwhelmed by His goodness, grace, mercy and love for you. He really is a good, good Father as the song states and He wants to love you as a child. I know not all of us had great earthly fathers but if you can imagine a small child falling and scraping their knee and running to their father with tears in their eyes to be comforted… that’s our Father. Or if you remember being so excited to show your daddy a new dance or piece of artwork… that’s our Daddy, too. Yes, we should be overwhelmed by His greatness but we should also recognize His desire to have a personal relationship with us every day of our lives.

I’ve come to learn that often the first interaction a nonbeliever has with the Lord is when He shines as the Prince of Peace. So often you hear stories of people in horrendous situations in which they feel they have no other option but to cry out to God and the Savior shines out of the darkness to draw them to Himself. I love the old children’s song, “I’ve Got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy Down in My Heart”, because it speaks of the “peace that passes understanding” which is totally something I did not understand as a kiddo but have come to marvel at as an adult. Peace in the midst of chaos is something you can’t understand until you’ve been there but what a powerful and overwhelming experience. This is why Paul and Silas sang praises in jail when their future was uncertain. They knew the Prince of Peace. They weren’t alone and neither are we.

I think these four facets of God’s being were perfect for a reminder about the coming Messiah. So often the world gets caught up in one descriptor of God. They see Him as judge or king or teacher which are all true but until you truly get to know the Savior on a personal level, you miss out on so many aspects that are important to living a fulfilling, purpose driven Christian life. God wanted the Israelites to know Him centuries ago, just like He wants us to know Him today. If you can’t say you truly know the Lord as your Counselor, God, Father or Peace, ask Him to give you a clear interaction with these characteristics of who He is and He will definitely show up!