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Jesus – Knows; Jesus Cares

Isaiah 9:6 – “For to 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, and Prince of Peace.”

Well here we are in December 2014 and we as believers in Jesus Christ, once again are celebrating the birth of our Savior while the rest of the world is caught up in the Christmas hustle and bustle.  Oh, wait a minute, are we celebrating his birth or are we caught up in the hustle and bustle of Christmas.

What are you thinking about on this wonderful snowy day in December (maybe there isn’t snow where you are, and by the time you read this our little snow may be gone).  But nevertheless, what are your thoughts?  Are you thinking about the birth of our Savior?  Why do we need to think about that?  Or, are you thinking about the presents that you haven’t bought yet, or the presents that you are anticipating getting?  Again, there is nothing really wrong with giving and receiving gifts but when that is what is consuming our thoughts and actions something is out of tune.

Our verse above tells us some things about Jesus and I want to explore the first one with us today.  Many people who have addictive backgrounds have tons of feelings during the holiday season that many folks just do not know about nor care about.  Many addicts (current or former) struggle with loneliness, isolation, rejection, fear, anger, resentments, jealousy, etc…  Isaiah under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit reveals to us that a Son is born.  Whose son?  God’s son and he also tells us that he will be called “Wonderful Counselor”.  Have you ever thought hard about that?  He is not just a counselor, no he is a Wonderful Counselor.  So what can we glean from this.  I will admit to this beforehand that the following thoughts are not my own, they are from my Pastor, Jamie Mitchell.

So, what does it mean to be a wonderful counselor?

1. Well, it means that he knows the future and if he knows the future he also is in control of the future.  We can take comfort in the fact that Jesus knows the future and has everything under control. Isaiah 46:9-10; Revelation 13:7-8; Genesis 15:3
2. It also means that he knows us and he even knew us before time began.  He has a plan for us and he even has it all figured out. Psalm 139:13-17; Jeremiah 1:5
3. Jesus also knows who his children are.  He also knows those who are not his.  Romans 8:29-30; 1 Peter 1:2; 2 Timothy 2:19
4. He knows the intentions of our hearts (now this can be scary or exciting).  He has X-ray vision into all of our hearts. He knows our thoughts and what we are going to do before we even do it. Deuteronomy 31:21; Ezekiel 11:5; Acts 1:24; 15:8
5. God knows everything we have done in the world. He knows all that we are doing at this very moments (past and future moments as well). Revelation 2:2-3; 2:19; 3:1; 3:8
6. God know all of our needs and he also knows how to meet them.  He knows them before we even make them known to him.  I also like what Pastor Bill Raws always said about God always send the answer before we even know we have a need.  Matthew 6:7-8; Luke 16:15
7. God know what our enemies will do; he knows their schemes, Jeremiah 18:23; and Isaiah 66:16-18 says, a time is coming when they will see his glory.
8. God knows when we are going through a trial.  He knows the way that I take, he has seen my afflictions, and he is familiar with my suffering. Job 23;10; Psalm 31:7; Exodus 3:7; Revelation 2:9
9. God knows all wisdom, he knows how to deal with all the things he knows about us. He knows how to handle all of the above things. John 16:30; Colossians 2:2-3

So, are you trusting in the Jesus who has revealed himself in the baby in the manger.  He came because he knows.. He died because he knows.  He lives because he knows.  Not only does he know, He cares.  He cares about all those things that are listed above because if he did not care, he would not have come.  We celebrate because he is God, God with us.  He has made life abundant for us.  He is abundant life.  He knows, He cares.  Doug Barger is Director of Men’s Ministry at Bethesda Mission. You can write to Doug at dbarger2030@comcast.net

Daily Bible Reading:  John 3-4

Think About This: The secret of Christian quietness is not indifference, but the knowledge that God is my Father, He loves me, I shall never think of anything He will forget, and worry becomes an impossibility. Oswald Chambers

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: 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 of Peace. Isaiah 9:6