Read: Isaiah 30:15-21
His name shall be called . . . Counselor. (Isa. 9:6)
When a long-held plan recently fell apart, I didn’t know where to turn. Who could help me decide what to do next? While counselor can refer to modern professions like therapists and lawyers, on the most basic level, a counselor is one who gives advice. All of us have times when we need advice. We need someone else’s help to discern the best way forward.
The Lord’s advice for his people in Isaiah 30:15 was that salvation comes in “returning and rest . . . quietness and . . . trust.” But the people were “unwilling” to accept these gifts. Even the best counselor’s advice won’t help us if we refuse to follow it! Still, God didn’t give up on his people. Isaiah described a future time when he said, “Your eyes shall see your Teacher” (v. 20). In that day, he promised, “your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it’ ” (v. 21). Although that time was still future to Isaiah, with the coming of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit, we can live in that promise now. The Counselor is here.
What situation in your life is now perplexing you? Jesus is more than just a baby in a manger. He is the Counselor—the one who will put a word in our ears, helping us know how to walk in the right way. All we need to do is ask—and then follow the guidance his Word brings.
As you pray, ask God for advice you may need about something that’s troubling you.
About the Author
Sarah Sanderson is the author of The Place We Make: Breaking the Legacy of Legalized Hate. She lives with her husband and their four teenage children in Oregon.
