There’s a song I absolutely love by Jordan St. Cyr that came to mind as I thought about the message today from Pastor Andy Coats at Trinity Baptist Church.
My favorite line in the song says, “Weary traveler, restless soul, you were never meant to walk this road alone.”
That was the heart of Andy’s message today, as he took us through a verse in Isaiah.
****Isaiah 9:6****
“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, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
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As we rush to find gifts during the Christmas season, we often forget that the gift God gave us through Jesus is the most meaningful and significant gift we will ever receive. He came to solve a problem we could not solve on our own, and He ultimately died on a cross to save us from our sin.
Jesus brought hope. And in Isaiah 9:6, we see he is, among other things, a “wonderful counselor”.
Wonderful also means magnificent or miraculous. Jesus is able to perform miracles. Sometimes, however, we lose sight of the reality that every miracle Jesus performed in the Bible started with a problem.
The same is true in our lives today. Every miracle Jesus works in our lives starts with a problem we weren’t afraid to share with Him. We also lose sight that the miracles He performs in our lives are designed to draw us closer to Him and happen on His timeline, not on our timeline.
Counselor means one who gives advice or steps in as an advocate. Jesus is our divine advocate, but He can only help when we turn to Him. Wonderful counsel is activated by wonderful conversation with Jesus.
****Matthew 11:28****
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
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Jesus calls us to cast our problems and our worries on Him. He also calls us to help others.
So why do so many of us feel the need to keep our burdens hidden. Why do we wrongly believe, “I can do this on my own?”
Because Satan leads us to believe we have to live in shame. We have a fear of being judged or persecuted by others. So we don’t ask for help.
By secretly living in shame, we allow Satan to win. We continue to live in sin, and we continue to carry the heavy weights alone.
We must remember that by being children of God, we are part of a kingdom that abounds in love and grace. We must show that same love and grace to those who share their burdens with us.
We all have problems and burdens. We are all sinners. So don’t allow your problems to define you. Instead, allow them to redefine your walk with Christ and your journey to become more Christlike.
Take every problem and worry you have to Jesus in prayer. You cannot see the transformation He can do in your life until you lay your problems down at His feet.
