“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6 (ESV)
Out of all the good news we hear in this world, this is the Good News.
Every Mother’s Day, I wish and thank my mother—especially for introducing Jesus Christ into my life. I cannot imagine a life without Him, and I truly don’t believe I would have made it this far without His presence and grace.
I have heard the name Jesus millions of times throughout my life, but the moment Jesus was born in my heart was an experience beyond words. It was a life-transforming encounter—for good.
The prophet Isaiah prophesied the names of Jesus: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. He begins this passage by revealing that the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light, and those who dwelt in deep darkness—the light has shone upon them. The yoke of the burden and the rod of the oppressor were broken. What a powerful depiction of freedom, deliverance, and restoration.
This is a beautiful revelation of the power of the Trinity—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—working together for the redemption of mankind.
Today, this is a message of hope. Because Jesus lives, we can face tomorrow.
In this season, rejoice in the fact that you have heard the Good News, and please share it with others. We never know who is in the pit, who is walking in darkness, or who desperately needs deliverance. The message of Jesus’ birth has the power to transform, redeem, and restore a life.
Everyone deserves peace, joy, and true happiness—and Jesus is the only source of it. This source never runs dry.
Jesus truly is the Prince of Peace, because He rules the heart and satisfies the soul. His goodness must be tasted to be fully known.
May this King be born in your heart, and may He be your portion today and forever.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for coming as the Light of the world. Be born anew in our hearts this Christmas. Rule our lives, heal our wounds, and fill us with Your peace that surpasses all understanding. Help us to share Your love and hope with those who are still in darkness. We receive You as our Prince of Peace today and always. Amen.
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.”
1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)
This Scripture applies to all who believe in Jesus Christ. Only the Kingdom of God can identify the homeless as His special possession, invite a criminal to become part of a holy nation, call the disadvantaged and underprivileged into the priesthood, and name the outcast as chosen. God uses a divine lens to see us. The Bible says He does not look at outward appearance but at the heart—and He qualifies us to partake in this privilege.
There was a time in my life when I was a new believer in Christ, just beginning to learn the Word of God. I had a habit of using bad words—for fun or when I got extremely angry. I thought it made me look cool. I didn’t even realize it was wrong, because my friends used the same language and my culture considered it normal.
Until one day, a preacher shared this Scripture and gave an example. He asked whether Queen Elizabeth had ever used filthy language in public or in the media. To belong to a royal palace, even babies are taught and trained to grow in royalty—through rules, discipline, appearance, poise, and communication. He went on to preach that we belong to a royal Kingdom, that God has chosen and appointed us to stand as His witnesses.
That message struck me deeply. I began to closely observe the royals from Buckingham Palace. Yes, they were different from common people. They consistently maintained a distinct way of living—how they behaved, spoke, and carried themselves.
My heart began to desire transformation—to truly belong to the Kingdom of God. As a first step, I made a conscious effort to stop using bad words. Every time I was tempted to speak, I reminded myself that I am a princess of my King, Jesus, and that I am chosen. Though I am still working on many areas of my life, I have not lost sight of my origin or where I am destined to end up.
People in earthly palaces maintain their poise out of fear of people or rejection from royal lineage. But we are called out of darkness into marvelous light to proclaim the praises of Him who saved us.
The Word of God encourages us to stay away from anything that distorts the truth of who Jesus is to us and who we are called to be in His Kingdom. We bear a mark—the blood of Jesus upon us—set apart from the world and counted among the chosen.
Welcome to the Royalty.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for calling us out of darkness into Your marvelous light. Help us to walk worthy of our royal calling, guarding our hearts, words, and actions so they reflect Your glory. Transform us daily to live as Your chosen people, for Your praise and honor. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
God has a way of capturing a person’s attention and drawing them toward salvation. He works in wonderful, unexpected ways—and my story is one of them. Thank God for social media today, where at least we can hear and see good news even in the midst of evil. My encounter with God happened long before social media existed, when hearing Scripture was rare. Yet the grace of God reached me.
During my college days, I failed one math subject in my first semester and carried it all the way to the final year. Along with that, I failed many other subjects in different semesters. The only relief was the system that allowed students to move from one semester to another with arrears, but all the subjects had to be completed within four years to receive a first class honor. Honestly, if not for that, my four-year engineering course would have taken forever to complete.
By the time I reached my 7th semester, I had almost 17 subjects pending. Out of 60 students, I was probably the one with the most failed papers. I could hardly study because of my family situation, and engineering—especially computer science—was not what I wanted to pursue. In my culture, parents decide what children must study, not their interests.
I felt ashamed watching classmates get placed in companies during campus recruitment while I had no idea what my future held. I realized I had to set aside everything and start working hard. During that season, my mother secretly accepted Jesus and was baptized without my father’s knowledge. She became a prayer warrior, praying over everything in our lives.
I studied with all my strength and managed to pass 16 subjects in the 7th semester—but that one math subject from the first semester still stood like a giant before me.
The final exam was my last attempt to pass with first class. I tried, but math was extremely difficult for me. On the day of the exam, I had a high viral fever. My condition was so bad my mother was waiting in the college office out of fear that I would pass out. I sat in the examination hall with juniors; the faculty handed me the question paper, but I could hardly see. I skimmed through the questions and realized I knew the answers, yet my body was too weak to write. The faculty tried to help, but I could barely hold my pen. To the best of my memory, I wrote only for about 50 marks, while the passing score was 45.
I somehow endured the entire three-hour exam, already convinced I would fail again. When my mom asked how it went, I told her I would fail—after all, I had written only half the paper.
I felt strangely relieved. After years of setbacks, struggles, and back-to-back exams, I was just exhausted. All that remained was to wait for the results and see if I would even finish my course.
Around that time, I received a Christian magazine addressed to my name with the Scripture: “I will show you wonders.” As I walked, I kept reading that verse. Everything about it felt new, yet I knew in my spirit that this Word was for me. I wanted to believe in the Jesus my mother had been fervently praying to.
I didn’t know how to pray, but I believed Jesus could show me wonders—even in that math subject that had become a mountain in my life.
One of my relatives offered to bribe the faculty to get my paper passed. I refused. I told him, “No, I believe in this promise—I will show you wonders.” My mom looked at me, both happy and uncertain, but I could see hope in her eyes.
Then the results came.
To my shock, I passed all my 8th semester subjects—and that one math paper I had carried from first year to final year. I couldn’t believe it. Even more surprising, I passed with 47 marks. It was nothing short of a miracle.
My mom had gone to church to pray for my results. When she returned and I told her the good news, she hugged and kissed me—not because I passed the subject, but because I held on to God’s promise, and God honored it. I realized her prayer was more for my salvation than my marks.
That miracle encouraged me to pursue this wonder-working God. Every phase of my life since then has been marked by His hand. The once “dumb student,” as I used to see myself, later completed a master’s degree in the U.S. with a 3.6 GPA—and without paying a single penny. Opportunities my peers longed for, God graciously gave me.
Today I can confidently say: I have a wonder-working God.
This same God is alive and still doing wonders. Let the Word of God encourage you today—whatever seems impossible, God can turn it around. He is faithful. Trust Him, and you will see wonders in your own life.
Prayer
Father, thank You for being a God of wonders. Strengthen my faith to trust You in every impossible situation. Show Your mighty hand in my life, just as You did for Your children before me. Help me hold on to Your promises with confidence and expectation. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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