Do You Need a Comforter?
Ivan Tinklenberg ministering the love of Jesus on a mission to a nation in Asia.
By Tom Shanklin
“If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” (John 14:15-18, AV)
There are times in life when we desperately need a comforter. Times of confusion. Times of distress. Times of sorrow. Times of deep anguish of heart. Can you relate?
When Jesus was preparing His disciples for His departure, He knew that they would face tremendous challenges. He knew that they would face confusion, grief and opposition. So He said to them, “I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.”
The word “another” in the original means “another of the same kind.” In other words, this Comforter would be like Jesus. Just as Jesus brought comfort, strength, help, and power into the lives of His disciples, so the Comforter would bring help from heaven to them (and us). When Jesus walked the earth, He was their Comforter. Now He was leaving, but He would not leave them comfortless.
The Comforter is the Holy Spirit. The original word is “parakletos,” meaning one called along side to help. The New King James Version translates this word as “helper.” In the MEV version it is “counsellor.” So, which is He? He is all these things. The Holy Spirit will be what you need Him to be in your life today. As the Amplified version reads: “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever—“
In John 11, we read about some people desparately in need of a comforter, Mary and Martha, whose brother Lazarus had died. When Jesus heard about Lazarus’ sickness, He delayed coming. When He finally arrived, Lazarus had been in the grave for four days. The Jews had come to mourn with Mary and Martha and to comfort them, but they could not be consoled. They were broken in spirit over the death of their beloved brother.
When Jesus finally came, Martha went out to meet Him, but Mary remained in the house. Now, Mary was the spiritual one. She was the one who sat at Jesus’ feet listening to Him teach. Martha has the busy one, who complained that Mary was not helping with the meal preparation. And yet, in this time of tragedy, Mary was the one who was so despondent and overtaken with grief that she would not even go out to meet Jesus. But finally, when Jesus called her, she went out to meet Him.
Perhaps you are in that place of sorrow and dejection. Like Mary, you must go out to meet Jesus. You must hear Him calling your name, calling you to come to Him, and experience His comfort, peace, and help in time of need.
Now, both sisters said the same thing to Jesus, “Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” They knew that Jesus had the power to heal Lazarus, and yet He did not respond to their cry for help. He was delayed, and they did not know why. Likewise, there are times when we do not understand the Lord’s delay in answering our cries. There are times when we must trust, even though we do not understand.
The Bible tells us that when Jesus saw Mary weeping, and the Jews with her, he groaned in the Spirit and was troubled. Then we see the shortest, but not the least poignant, verse in the Bible, “Jesus wept.”
This tells me something about God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God feels our pain. He is touched by the feeling of our weakness. In Jesus, we see the heart of the Father in action. Jesus, the expressed image of God, has deep empathy for you, and sees what you are going through.
The Holy Spirit is the same. He makes intercession for you with groanings too deep for words. Your pain is His pain, and He moves to help you, strengthen you, comfort you, and give you hope. He brings God’s love and comfort to you in your hour of need.
God did not promise you a trouble-free life, but He said He would never leave you nor forsake you. He will help you in the trial … and through the trial. We see in the case of Mary and Martha, Jesus not only brought comfort but the answer to their greatest need. He raised their brother from the dead!
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26, NKJV) In other words, I am the One who can bring life out of death and joy out of sorrow. Keep believing in Me and you will never die!
So today you may feel like you are surrounded by death—the loss of a loved one, a broken relationship, a vanquished dream, or the devastation of personal failure. These are some of the toughest things in life. But remember, God can bring life out of death, and joy out of sorrow. He can turn your impossible situation around. If you are a follower of Jesus, the resurrection life of Jesus lives within you, and there is hope for the future.
Nothing is lost in God. He hears every cry. He sees every tear. So I encourage you today. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. When you don’t understand, come to Jesus by the Holy Spirit, and receive the comfort and help you need.
Dear Father, I need Your help! Thank you for sending Jesus to die on the cross so I could know you. Help me to experience the resurrection life of Jesus by the Holy Spirit. Fill my heart with your hope, your love, and your compassion, so that I may experience the peace that passes all understanding, in Jesus’ name.