John 16:5-7 (NASB) “But now I am going to Him who sent Me; and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, grief has filled your heart. 7 But I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I am leaving; for if I do not leave, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.
John 14:16-18 (NASB) I will ask [pray to] the Father, and He will give you another Helper, so that He may be with you forever; 17 the Helper is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him; but you know Him because He remains with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans [comfortless, helpless]…
Orphan — “someone who has been left without the care, protection, or guidance of someone they depend on.”
Parakletos — “one who is called alongside to help.”
The Holy Spirit is our Comforter
The 10 moments in life when people need comfort most
They’re grieving the loss of someone they love.
They’re afraid of what the future holds.
They’re experiencing disappointment and discouragement.
They feel lonely, forgotten, or abandoned.
They’re overwhelmed by life’s pressure.
They’re hurting and don’t know how to heal.
They’ve failed and don’t know how to move forward.
They’re suffering and don’t understand why.
They’re exhausted from fighting the same battle.
They’re facing a major life transition.
Psalm 23:4 (NKJV) Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
Isaiah 43:1-5 (NLT) ”Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. 2 When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. …5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you.”
1. He comforts us when we’re grieving a loss
“God is too good to be unkind and He is too wise to be mistaken. And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.” —Charles Spurgeon
Matthew 5:6 (NKJV) Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Psalm 34:18 (NLT) The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.
Psalm 56:8 (NLT) You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in Your bottle. You have recorded each one in Your book.
2. He comforts us when we’re disappointed
“When the train goes through a tunnel and the world gets dark, do you jump out? Of course not. You sit still and trust the engineer to get you through.” —Corrie Ten Boom
Deuteronomy 31:8 (NLT) Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; He will neither fail you nor abandon you.
Psalm 42:5 (NLT) "Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God!"
Romans 5:5 (NLT) And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.
Romans 15:13 (NIV) May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
“Being challenged in life is inevitable—being defeated is optional.”
3. He comforts us so we can comfort others
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NLT) God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.