GOD IS WITH US

January 3, 2024

For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6
 

This prophecy that Isaiah recorded from God foretold of Jesus, and this verse identifies four characteristics of Him worth delving into this Christmas!
 
1. WONDERFUL COUNSELOR. Jesus is the greatest adviser. He is all-knowing. A gifted young man in our church was approached about a promotion in his company. They wanted him to lead a new division. He told me he was hesitant about accepting, so we prayed together, and I sensed the same caution. He declined the promotion even though his bosses thought he was crazy. Six months later, the powers that be changed their mind and closed that new division. Instead of transferring people back in, they fired everybody who had moved into that department. Had he taken what looked like a big bonus and promotion with greater authority, he would have lost his job. God has your best interests at heart. He has a calling on your life and wants to see you through in the fulfillment of what He created you for. 
 
2. MIGHTY GOD. The Bible says that Jesus is not weak toward you, but He is mighty in you (2 Corinthians 13:3). Jesus is not just a great enlightened one. He is fully God and fully man. The Hebrew word “mighty” in Isaiah 9:6 means a powerful champion. And the word “God,” in this case, is strength. So, it’s basically saying twice how strong God is toward us. He is “MIGHTY, MIGHTY.” That’s why we can say, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
 
3. ETERNAL FATHER. Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). He told Philip that “The one who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). Within the Trinity, there is both distinction and unity. My first memory was when my stepdad married my mom. He treated me like a son, adopted me, loved me, and gave me a good example of fatherhood. God doesn’t abandon. And he’s not emotionally detached. He is very present, vital, and alive. He is eternally abiding with us and inclined toward us. And He calls us His sons and daughters (2 Corinthians 6:18). 
 
4. PRINCE OF PEACE. The Hebrew phrase is “sar shâlôm,” which means He is the Master of safety, wellness, welfare, healing, health, prosperity, favor, abundance, and blessing. When Jesus was born, the angels proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among people with whom He is pleased” (Luke 2:14). God wants to bring peace to your heart. We see our circumstances, the challenges, and our failings, yet there is a peace that passes understanding. Jesus is Immanuel – God with us. 

Merry Christmas!
Pastor Jeff Perry
 
PRAY THIS PRAYER
Lord, You are a Wonderful Counselor, and I need some counsel. Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Your testimonies are also my delight. They are my counselors. You are a Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace. I pray peace over my household, peace over my community, peace over the United States, peace over the nations of the world. I pray that the whole earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. And I thank You, God, for supplying all of my needs according to Your riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Amen! (Psalm 119:105, 24; Habakkuk 2:14; Philippians 4:19)

^{Copyright © 2023 St. Louis Family Church, All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. 
“Gibbôr” H1368, “Êl,” H410, “Sar,” H8269” “Shâlôm,” H7965, Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. James Strong, 1890, p. 25, 12, 121, 116.}