GIVEN UNTO US (PART 2)

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given - And he will be called Wonderful Counselor

Isaiah 9:6

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Have you ever needed someone to talk to?

I know I have.

Life can get difficult at times and at its worst moments, it can become like a storm that entraps us within it. And as we are caught up in the swirl of our circumstances, we often find ourselves needing someone who can pull us out and bring us back to a place where we feel safe and secure, a place where we can get back on our feet again, a place where we see things clearer, especially in the way of finding our way out of our hardships.

So who can help us find our way to a sense of peace and assurance? Who can help provide us guidance in the midst of difficulty?

Often times, that person is a counselor.

The misnomer that a lot of people have is that only crazy people go to counselors but the truth about the value of a counselor is that they are just there to help people deal with this thing called life. They’re there to listen and offer suggestions and resources that can help alleviate the pressures a person is under. And through their listening, we often feel better just by merit of being able to share what is on our mind, to unload our concerns and move them from the inside out. Such an occurrence often liberates the heart and mind to allow freedom from heavy burdens and a clearer path of thought toward possible solutions.

In the end, people just want to have a sense of hope, to know that everything is going to be all right and to gain knowledge as to where they might be able to get further help to that end.

With all this, we all can be a counselor to someone else. Not every situation where someone is struggling requires a certified, licensed counselor. We all can sit and listen and care for others. But when there is a need beyond what we can provide for, it’s such a comfort that we can refer others to a pastor or a professional counselor who is better equipped and experienced to deal with the matter the person is going through. There are resources outside of ourselves to refer others to.

Yes, there is a real need in our world for people to have a counselor and as in every other circumstance, God recognized this need for His people, providing us a Counselor greater than any one abiding on the earth He created. That holy, divine, perfect Counselor is named Jesus. Look at today’s verse from Isaiah, Chapter 9:

For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given - And he will be called Wonderful Counselor. (v. 6)

Go to the life of Jesus and you will find a life filled with counsel to those who placed their belief and trust in Him. Indeed, Jesus was all about providing direction and guidance on how to deal with life and the difficulties it can bring. Consider nearly every hardship we endure and we can find Jesus having dealt with it, showing us the way through word and deed how to make it through ourselves. He was truly the Wonderful Counselor the people needed then some 2,000 years ago and He remains the Counselor we need today.

Now you might be wondering how Jesus can be our Counselor when He is not physically present with us. Well, He gives us the answer as to how He continues to provide us direction even though He sits at the right hand of the Father. Look at these verses:

 “If you love Me, you will keep My commands. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you.” John 14:15-17

When you receive Jesus into your life as Lord and Savior, you receive the gift of His Holy Spirit, the Counselor given unto us by the Father to lead and guide His people. Carrying on the work of Jesus before He ascended, the Holy Spirit, grounded in truth and abiding within us, leads us through life and provides is direction when we need to know the way through our circumstances, shows us the way to live in righteousness, and offers us peace and comfort when we are in need of love and support.

God did not wish for His people to be without a Wonderful Counselor and so He gave one unto us in Jesus Christ. In turn, Jesus led and guided us first hand through His life as He walked the earth and then advocated for us to His Father so that we might continue to receive guidance after He departed, a request that was granted through the Holy Spirit who leads and guides us today, the Holy Spirit who is directing my fingers to type these words today.

Friends, rejoice and be glad in this life we have been granted! For unto us has been given a Wonderful Counselor who will never leave us, a Wonderful Counselor who will always speak truth into our hearts and minds when we seek Him.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com