I love the story of Jesus, His majestic arrival, His ministry, His parables, His miracles and the purpose of His sacrifice through His death and resurrection. The four gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, each provide an account of His life from different perspectives. The books describe the fulfillment of the promise that was pronounced in the book of Isaiah Chapter 9 in the Old Testament. This prophetic account introduces us to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  This 5-day devotional will explore the five names that were given to Jesus in the book of Isaiah, years before His arrival. Names are significant in the Bible because they provide insight to the circumstances of the birth, a declaration for the child, or the purpose of the child. In this devotional, we will examine each one and spend some time reflecting and praying about what we learned. Jesus came for us and through this devotional, you will discover the roles He should play in our lives.

"And His name shall be called Wonderful…" -Isaiah 9: 6 

I really admire when an individual’s name is an adjective. Adjectives are words that describe a noun. As a name it really sets a precedent or declaration of what is to come. In the introduction, we discussed the importance of names, and in Scripture, when there is some form of explanation of a name, it usually describes the child or it is a declaration of what is to come. 

Precious, Lucky, and Lovely are all names of individuals that I know directly or indirectly. Similar to Wonderful, these names provide a description of the individual before one even interacts with them. For several years, when I read Isaiah 9:6, in a rush to get through the verse, I assumed that the first name was Wonderful Counselor. It wasn’t until I slowed down that I noticed the comma between Wonderful and Counselor. Wonderful was the first name on the list and Counselor was the second name. Wonderful can be described as inspiring delight, pleasure, or admiration; extremely good; marvelous. What a wonderful way for Isaiah to introduce our Lord and Savior to the people of Judah via a prophetic word. Everything about the coming King, as described in Isaiah, would be seen as admirable, good, pleasing and marvelous. All accurate terms to describe a gentle, kind, compassionate Teacher who paid the ultimate sacrifice for you and me. His name is Wonderful and He is a wonder. 

When I think of people who I would describe as a wonder, I think of gifted individuals who, despite their circumstances, illustrate their gifts, passion, and purpose. A famous musician who lost his sight a few days after his birth but learned how to play several instruments, wrote many songs, sold millions of records and won 25 Grammy awards is a wonder. He went above the status quo and achieved what others could only imagine. 

Jesus is a Wonder. There is no other religion or faith base that has an individual that gave their life for the lives of others. NONE! And that’s because there was no need to and there was no purpose driving it. Jesus died for our sins so we would have an everlasting life. A life beyond our time here on earth, a life with our everlasting Father. It is the only way to the Father. John 14: 6 states that “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 

Jesus is truly is a wonder. His desire to heal, save, and teach is sometimes difficult for us to really comprehend. His ministerial impact of three years, has lasted and grown over 2000 years after His resurrection. His forgiving heart, after persecution, abuse and torture even until His last moments is still challenging for those who do not know His purpose to wrap their heads around. 

Jesus Christ is a wonder. 

He is wonderful. 

And His name is Wonderful.  

Reflection - Spend some time reflecting on how wonderful Jesus is and why it is appropriate for Him to be named Wonderful. If possible, write it out and whenever you feel a little unlike yourself, go back and read this list. It will help you appreciate how privileged you are to have access to a Wonder. 

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You that I know You are a wonder and You are wonderful. As I reflect on how wonderful You are, help me see Your wonders daily in my life. Teach me to appreciate the small and great wonders You create and help me to appreciate You as the Wonderful Lord that You are, in Jesus name I pray, Amen.  

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." - Isaiah 9: 6 

We all have people we run to when we need advice. People we can trust and/or believe are able to help us in our times of need. They can be a friend, colleague, or family member. They are usually the people you think of first when you have an issue. If they are in your circle, you can probably reach out to them as needed for quick chat, lunch, or dinner.  While these individuals are special and may have been a blessing to you, they may not be the best person to run to when you have a complicated or life changing issue. The role is reserved for counselors. Someone who is trained and qualified to provide clarity, guidance, and direction.  I remember when I started thinking about college during my second year of high school. With the limited resources and knowledge about higher education, I set up a meeting with my high school counselor. She was great. She had so much knowledge on the steps I needed to take, strategies for each direction I wanted to go in and a dozen books related specifically to preparing for college or university. The wealth of knowledge she had was impressive and I was so happy I scheduled that meeting with her. I left her office feeling confident knowing that I had someone I could talk to when I had questions or concerns. 

Jesus is our Counselor. He is able and willing to guide us through every situation. He’s seen it all, knows it all and has ALL the resources we need. The icing on the cake is that He came to this world as a man to experience what we experience and could relate to our emotions. He came in human form so He could relate to our circumstances, at our level. 

Whatever you are going through, just know that we have a Counselor that is available to guide us through it all. 

Reflection: Sometime this week, try calling on the Counselor before picking up the phone to call your friend, colleagues, or family member. Be still and attentive to His direction and pay attention to how He leads you. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for being a Counselor, my Counselor. I thank You for allowing me to have access to You for guidance and direction. Help me to go to You first before going to others for help. I want to establish the habit or culture of seeking You first and listening to Your direction on what I need to do next, in Jesus name. Amen. 

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." - Isaiah 9: 6 

What an honor it is to be able to spend time in the presence of the Lord. During service, your quiet time, on a prayer call, during a Bible study, or simply when you are in your shower preparing for the day or bedtime. Independently or collectively, any time in God’s presence should be memorable. Just as we strive to spend time with Him, He enjoys quality time with us. He is interested in the details of our lives, even at the gravity of His mighty nature. Matthew 10:30 and Luke 12:7 tells us that the hairs of your head are numbered, I would even take it a step further to say that every blood cell in our body is accounted for. 

Anything that has a number is associated with value or significance. Numbers provide a quantifiable assessment of the size, capacity, or the amount of time. In other words, as Mighty as God is, He is still mindful of the smallest things about us. God is Mighty and His capacity is great. He embodies strength and power that no one else can compare or will ever be able to obtain completely. Not only is He Omnipotent (all-powerful), 

He is also: 

• • Omniscient (all-knowing), 

  • Omnipresent (everywhere at all times), and 

  • Omnibenevolent (all goodness and love)

He is the All in All, the great I AM, the Alpha and Omega, and so much more. These attributes and more are what makes God mighty - the Mighty God. He is able to do and undo, direct and redirect, open and close, perform miracles, and speak to His children from the heavens. I can list out several personal reasons why the Lord is mighty and you will agree. But instead of sharing my reasons why or how He has shown Himself mighty in my life, I would like you to do some reflections. 

Reflection: 

1. 1. In the last six months, how has the Lord shown Himself mighty in your life? 

   2. In the last year, how have you seen his mighty works in the lives of others? 

   3. If you can recall the last 10 years, list out instances (first-hand or second-hand) where the Lord showed up mighty. 

The purpose of the reflection exercise is to quantify what Mighty means to you and for you to become comfortable referring to His name as Mighty God. 

Prayer: Mighty God, I thank You for revealing Yourself as a Mighty God. Help me to begin or continue to refer to You as Mighty God. I’ve seen how You have shown Yourself mighty in the past and in the present and I pray that You will show up mighty in the various areas of my life, in Jesus name, Amen.  

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." - Isaiah 9: 6 

Many children are introduced to God as a father through the Lord’s Prayer from the book of Luke 11:2 - 4 (read the Lord’s Prayer in its entirety). 

The first part of the first sentence of the prayer, “ Our Father in heaven,” confirms that God is our Father and He resides in heaven, an everlasting place. A Father, not a mother, brother, or sister, regardless of what the new age religion is trying to convince us. He is our Father and He resides on the everlasting throne in Heaven but more importantly, His presence in our life is everlasting. The Everlasting Father is always present and never leaves us nor forsakes us. 

Understanding the presence of the Everlasting Father is so important for believers, especially since there has been an increase in absentee fathers in the homes in the United States. Many households are held together by mothers, extended family, and sometimes siblings. For an array of reasons, which I cannot go into now, the presence of fathers has decreased over the years. Unfortunately this has resulted in mothers having to take on that role or to find father figures to fill that gap. This is evident in thank you speeches, on social media, and even on Father’s Day, a day dedicated to honoring fathers. For a number of years now, statistics have shown that Americans spend $10 billion more on Mother’s Day than Father’s Day.  There is a huge gap in appreciating fathers, especially the ones that are present and there must be intentional effort to reduce the gap.

Thankfully, we have an Everlasting Father that sits on the throne and is always present regardless of if your biological father is present or absent. He loves us more than our biological father and He will always be present until we see Him in Heaven. He is there to protect us, correct us, and provide for us all because He loves us. His love for us doesn’t end. Meaning it is constant, unwavering, and limitless. No matter what we have done or didn’t do, God’s love for us never changes, diminishes, or ends. It is comforting to know that we have a Father that we can depend on, a Father that we can trust and a Father that is always there - Our Everlasting Father. 

Reflection: Think of the times when you felt alone and by yourself. A time when you felt scared or abandoned. If you could go back to that time to tell yourself that your Everlasting Father is with you, how would that change your feelings, responses, and how you handled the situation you were in. I’m sure there would be a significant change in how you feel, how you respond, and how you handle the situation. 

Anytime you feel alone, abandoned, secluded, or by yourself, remind yourself that your Everlasting Father is there with you every step of the way. 

Prayer: Everlasting Father, I thank You for being my Father, in addition to or in the place of my biological father. Thank You for the role You have always played in my life even when I did not acknowledge or realize You were there. Help me to be constantly reminded of Your role and presence. Help me to appreciate Your protection, correction, and provision, all out of love. Teach me how to appreciate You as my Father from now until eternity, in Jesus name I pray, Amen.  

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." - Isaiah 9: 6 

The life of Jesus was all about peace and I love how this is the final name in the list of names in Isaiah 9:6 because it almost seals all of the other names with a bow. The Lord knew there would be trials, tribulations and issues when Jesus arrived, because they existed before His coming and will exist after His departure. They are constant, through generations, locations, families and communities. Since it is unavoidable, as a result of free will, The Lord sent His son to bring us peace. And that is exactly what He did. He brought peace, which is illustrated in Romans 5:1 - Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Christ we receive peace; Peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). 

In our world today, we can all agree that there are so many reasons for our peace to be distributed, our joy to be lost and anxiety to increase. Despite those reasons, we have a Prince of Peace that reigns, constantly bringing us peace in the midst of the storm. And in Him we will have peace and He will overcome the world. The thought of this is like a big teddy bear hug that is needed at least every month (or week, depending on where you get your news from). It is comforting knowing God prepared a solution for us prior to the adversary arriving. John 16:33 sums it up up best: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” There’s nothing like the Peace that Jesus gives us. It eliminates worry, removes anxiety, diminishes concerns, and best of all, it restores our faith in Him. 

Now, this doesn’t mean that the enemy will not try to push, force, or display things that would normally result in a disruption of peace. It means that when those thoughts or feelings come, we have a default to go back to Christ, the giver of peace to restabilize us. Having the faith to know that we serve a God that can nullify any situation of anxiety, by speaking the word over our lives and relying on Christ to saturate us with peace.  This big red bow of peace is a reminder that God is in control and the best is yet to come. 

Reflection: Do you need a big red bow right now over a situation you are dealing with that is bringing you anxiety, concern, or worry? Write it down and pray for peace over that situation.  Ask the Prince of Peace to intervene. And remember, while the situation may or may not change, your position will; but you will have peace. 

Prayer: Father Lord, thank You for giving us Your Son that brings peace to our lives and situations. We bless Your name for the One who came for us. We know Him as Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. We are so grateful for various names and the role each one plays in our lives. We understand that Jesus came for us, He died for us, and He is seated at Your right hand advocating for us. Help us to remember each name in our time of need, as we walk with You. In Jesus name, Amen.