Praying God's PromisesSample

The Comforter

Imagine the scene. Jesus is sitting around the campfire, knowing he is on a collision course with his destiny, the cross. He knows his death on the cross is necessary if he is going to defeat sin and death so that humankind can be restored to God. But he also knows that his disciples won’t understand. So ever so gently, Jesus begins to tell them he is going away. He explains, “When the Father sends the Comforter—and by the Comforter I mean the Holy Spirit—he will teach you much and will remind you of everything I myself have told you.” (See John 14.) 

The Comforter, or the Holy Spirit, had been on earth before. This Spirit of God had rested on the prophets of old, giving them the ability to prophesy, and he had rested on Jesus, in the form of a dove, when John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. Now, Jesus is telling his disciples that this Holy Spirit, the Ruach HaKodesh, will come to them and comfort them, teach them, and remind them of his words. 

 Thinking of God as a comforter always reminds me of how my mother would comfort me when I was sick as a child. She would wrap me in her arms and gently kiss the top of my head. I well remember the feeling of her love and care.

How I love that our God is a comforting God. When we stumble, he’s there to help us stand. When we fail, he’s there to encourage us. When we are going through suffering, he’s there to wrap his arms of love around us and take our suffering upon himself. There are times we all need comfort, and how wonderful it is that we have a Comforter. He is there when we need him most.

Your Word says: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (2 Corinthian 1:3–4 NIV). 

I agree: I praise you, God and Father of my Lord Jesus Christ. You are the Father of compassion. You gift me with comfort in my troubles and enable me to gift this same comfort to others.