The Government on WHOSE
Shoulders?
By
Elin Henderson
“For unto us a Child is born, unto
us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulders, and His name
will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of
Peace.
Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)
Around December, this verse makes
its annual appearance. We see it on Christmas cards and hear it in sermons.
Yet, we all need a little reminder after
Christmas of just who our Savior is. We need to be reminded that carrying
the weight/government of the world on our own
shoulders can be a tiring, frustrating and ultimately hopeless experience. Let’s
look at whose shoulders are holding up the governments of this world!
He is our….
Wonderful, Counselor: I have heard several times where theologians question
whether that comma is there. Truly He is wonderful and truly He is our
counselor, but more than anything, He is our wonderful counselor. Human counselors can be a tremendous help and
blessing, but there is One alone who is our WONDERFUL counselor. One who knows
us inside and out and has endless stores of wisdom to pour upon us.
Mighty God: He is mighty to save, mighty to rescue, mighty to hold,
mighty to forgive, mighty to protect. He fights for us. And with Him on our
side, there is no fear of defeat!
Everlasting Father: In a world where so many lack a strong or even present
father figure, He promises to be that for us! Where others fail to fulfill
their role, He never will. There are few of the human roles on earth, spoken of
in heaven, but this is one of them. From now until everlasting, He is our
father!
Prince of Peace: The world is desperately crying out for peace. They
search for it and long for it, but it continually evades them. True peace only
comes from one source, our Savior! “He
is our peace who has broken down every wall” (Eph. 2:14). There is only one way
for peace to be found, that is when the government of our lives (and world) are
on His shoulders - - not ours!
Let’s rest today on the mighty
shoulders of our Savior!
GOING
DEEPER:
1.
Which of
these attributes of Jesus most stands out to you? Which one do you need a
little reminder about throughout the days?
2.
On an index card, draw a set of shoulders, and
underneath list out these names and set it out in a place where you can see and
remember just who is holding us up!
FURTHER
READING:
Oakwood’s missionaries Elin Henderson
(a registered nurse) and her husband Phil serve as church planters with New
Tribes in Mozambique, Africa. Elin is
mother to fifteen-year-old Callie and twelve-year-old Elias.
