“For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Read the names slowly. They are usually sung so fast that they blur together.
Wonderful Counselor. Not an advisor who gives you options and leaves you to sort it out. Someone who actually knows what you should do, and knows you, and can be asked. If you have ever lain awake turning a decision over with nobody wise to call, this name is for you.
Mighty God. The baby in the manger is not a lesser version of God sent as a stand-in. All of it is there in the straw. Whatever power holds the stars in place is present in a child who cannot hold up his own head.
Everlasting Father. For some people that phrase lands warm and for others it lands complicated, because their own father was absent or angry or gone too soon. Hold it gently. It means a father who does not leave, does not tire of you, and does not have a limit on how many times you can come back.
Prince of Peace. Not peace as a mood. Peace as a settlement, the end of a war. Peace with God first, and then, slowly, peace inside us and between us.
Here is what strikes me most. Isaiah does not say a child is born and leave it there. He says to us a child is born, to us a son is given. Twice, to us. These names are not decorations on a distant king. They are given.
Pick the one you need most this year. That is not a coincidence. That is probably the reason it caught you.
Talk About It Together
Slow down on this one. Read the names out loud before you answer.
- Which of the four names do you need most this year, and why?
- Which one is hardest for you to believe about God?
- What would change this week if that name were true of your situation?
Tonight’s Challenge
Choose one of the names and use it when you pray tonight. Address God by the name you need.
Prayer
Jesus, You are Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. We need every one of those, and tonight we especially need one. Be that to us. Thank You that these names were not just announced, they were given to us. Amen.