“Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed him as his counselor? Whom did the LORD consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding?” [Isaiah 40:13-14]
“This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ,” [1 Corinth. 2:13-16]
“For this is what the LORD says -- he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited -- he says: "I am the LORD, and there is no other,” [Isaiah 45:18]
“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him -- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD -- and he will delight in the fear of the LORD,” [Isaiah 11:1-3]
“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him. Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!” [Psalm 32:8-11]
The Spirit of God is called “Counselor” or “Comforter,” which literally means “He who is called to one’s side.” The idea behind the word is someone who comes to your aid in a time of need –particularly when you’re standing before a judge, but also in any situation when you need help in a time of need. Because we sinners, we are in great need continuously. This is why Jesus promised to be with us always, to the very end of the age. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus Christ, is the One who instructs us as we walk along the Way of God. He is the One who defends us and pleads our case, like an advocate before a judge. He is the Spirit of counsel.
God knows that our fleshly inclinations ever seek to divert us from Him. He knows that Satan searches for and exploits our weaknesses so that he can accuse us before the Judge. But the Spirit of Good Counsel teaches whoever seeks to please God and desires to know Him better. He is also the Spirit of prophecy. He is the Revealer of mysteries. He knows the mind of God and enables us to know God’s will. He is the Author of the Word of God and inspires us with deep understanding of the Word. He pleads our prayers before God –and pleads for us passionately.
The Spirit convicts the world of guilt in regard to sin and leads us to repentance. He also convicts in terms of righteousness and judgment. He testifies about Jesus and enables us to have the strength and determination to testify about Jesus too. In short, the Spirit of Counsel enables us to remain Christians, because He is the very Spirit of Jesus Christ; without Him, we would surly perish.
We can certainly rejoice and be very glad that God cares so much about us that He has anticipated our every need. He knows our weakness better than we do. And when we think about what measures He has taken to ensure that we spend eternity with Him, we become even more grateful, more captivated by His love for us. His counsel is Good, and His Counselor isn’t about to give up on you.
On the Solid Rock we stand!
George