5-Day Advent Devotion: The Wonderful Counselor
Theme: Trusting the Master's Strategy in the Chaos (Isaiah 11:1-5)
Day 1: The Principle—The Counsel of the Stump (Isaiah 11:1)
Read: Isaiah 11:1-2
Anchor: The prophecy starts with the "stump of Jesse"—the image of a royal family cut down to nothing. This is the ultimate symbol of defeat, chaos, and lost hope. Yet, the Wonderful Counselor is promised from this obscurity. God’s plan begins where human power ends.
Quote: Augustine of Hippo: "The righteous is a branch that bears fruit, and the sinner is a tree that is cut down... we should not boast of the branch, but of the root."
Reflection: When we look at the chessboard of our lives (finances, family, goals), what piece or area feels cut down, forgotten, or reduced to a "stump" right now?
Action Step: Write down one area of your life that feels hopeless or "stumped." Confess any despair or wishful thinking you’ve applied to it, admitting that your power is exhausted.
Prayer: Wonderful Counselor, forgive me for forgetting that your greatest power often comes from the deepest obscurity. Help me to stop judging my hope by the size of the tree and to look only to the life in the Shoot, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Discussion Questions:
What external signs make the Advent season feel more like a "stump" (exhaustion, financial strain) than a victory?
In what way does the Messiah being born from a "stump" challenge our modern ideas of power and leadership?
How can remembering Christ's humble origin help you trust God's plan in your own low points?
Day 2: The Problem—The Blindness of Self-Counsel (Isaiah 11:3)
Read: Isaiah 11:3-4a
Anchor: The Messiah is praised because "He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear." This highlights our problem: we rely on our limited counsel, judging only by immediate appearance and superficial noise. We mistake the stump for the end of the line.
Quote: Athanasius of Alexandria: "The mind's eye is blinded by sin, so it cannot see rightly and judges all things only by its own fleeting desires and corrupted senses."
Reflection: How does the idol of Control show up in your life when things go wrong? (e.g., You panic and make rash moves on the chessboard rather than waiting for the Master's instruction.)
Action Step: For 24 hours, intentionally pause before making any decision based on fear, impatience, or the desire for immediate approval. Ask yourself: "Am I judging this by what my eyes see, or by what the Counselor says?"
Prayer: Lord Jesus, my mind's eye is blinded by the sin of control. I confess that I would rather be the counselor than the counseled. Heal my sight, and give me the patience to trust your invisible hand when all my senses tell me to panic. Amen.
Discussion Questions:
How does the Advent commercialism use appearance and noise (v. 3) to appeal to the idols of control and approval in our lives?
What is one specific situation where you realized your "limited counsel" was wrong or shortsighted?
What does it mean practically to "stop judging by what your eyes see" in a world saturated with visual media?
Day 3: The Gospel—The Master's Substitutionary Move (Isaiah 11:4)
Read: Isaiah 11:4
Anchor: The text says the Counselor will "strike the earth... and kill the wicked." This judgment should fall on us. The Gospel is that the Great Chess Master made a substitutionary move: He was cut down to the stump on the cross for us. He absorbed the full force of the law's judgment.
Quote: Fleming Rutledge: "The cross is the place where God took the full force of the violence of the world into himself. It is the place where the judgment falls on the Judge."
Reflection: Reflect on the utter surprise of grace. How has Christ's move—taking your self-counsel and rebellion to the cross—allowed you to stand as "justified" (the oppressed who is rescued), rather than "wicked" (the one who is judged)?
Action Step: Meditate on the "Great Exchange." Thank God for one specific consequence of your sin (anxiety, pride, or revenge) that Christ completely took upon Himself at the cross.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for executing the perfect, unseen plan of the cross. You took the judgment I deserved for my self-counsel, and you secured my eternal victory. Let the righteousness you grant me be the only thing that defines me. Amen.
Discussion Questions:
How does knowing the Checkmate Move has already been executed change how you approach an immediate, overwhelming problem right now?
What does it mean that the judgment falls on the Judge? How is this the ultimate act of "equity" (v. 4)?
Name one specific area of life where you still try to "pay back" a consequence that Christ has already covered on the cross.
Day 4: The Response—Clothed in His Righteousness (Isaiah 11:5)
Read: Isaiah 11:5
Anchor: The Belt: "Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins." Christ's perfection is His power. Because you are justified by Him, you are clothed in this very righteousness. You are not defined by your flawed moves, but by His perfect execution.
Quote: Fleming Rutledge: "The opposite of faith is not doubt. The opposite of faith is control."
Reflection: How does trying to control your reputation or success contradict the reality that you are already clothed in Christ's perfect righteousness?
Action Step: This Advent, identify one thing you do primarily for approval or control (e.g., over-committing to social events, excessive worry, fighting to be right). Resolve to reduce or stop that activity, practicing faith instead of control.
Prayer: Wonderful Counselor, I praise you for clothing me in your righteousness. Help me to surrender the need to control or impress others. Let my faith be an act of worship, trusting that your belt of righteousness is sufficient for every battle I face. Amen.
Discussion Questions:
How does knowing we are clothed in Christ's righteousness (v. 5) free us from seeking approval during the intense social pressures of Advent?
Since Christ's righteousness is perfect, why do we still seek to define ourselves by our own "flawed moves" or achievements?
If "faith is the opposite of control," what is one area of your routine this week where you can practically replace control with trust?
Day 5: The Response—Springing Forward in Hope (Implied Application)
Read: Review Isaiah 11:1-5
Anchor: Springing Forward: Because the victory is secured, we get to spring forward from our stumps in hopeful lament. We are not ruled by despair (apathy) or vengeance (anger), but by the Spirit of the Counselor inside—which is power, love, and self-control.
Quote: Kathryn Greene-McCreight: "This trust is the only thing that enables us to lament without despair."
Reflection: What specific piece of godly counsel or wisdom have you been avoiding because it would cost you control or approval? (e.g., seeking marital counseling, confessing a sin, making a budget).
Action Step: Take concrete steps toward welcoming counsel this week. Commit to meeting with a trusted, godly advisor (pastor, mentor, friend) to discuss the area of your life that feels the most like a stump or an unresolved chessboard battle.
Prayer: Master Strategist, I surrender my chessboard to you. Thank you for the power of your Spirit that enables me to lament what is broken, but not despair. Give me the love and humility to welcome the counsel of your body, the Church, as I wait with hope for your triumphant return. Amen.
Discussion Questions:
What is the difference between Christian lament and simple complaining? How does the Counselor (v. 2) make the difference?
What is one practical move you can make this week (a small decision or act of service) that demonstrates you are trusting the Master's strategy rather than your own panic?
Welcoming counsel is an act of humility. Who is one person in your life whose counsel you have been resisting, and why?
