It's not for nothing He's called 'The Comforter'

While brewing my morning coffee and making some toast the word came very clearly to the forefront of my mind … 'Comfort' … and then 'Comforter'. How appropriately Jesus called His Spirit, His indwelling presence that was yet to come to His beloved followers as He consoled them by telling them that though your hearts have been filled with sorrow, it is to your advantage that I go away because if I don't The Comforter can not come to you.

And He did go away. And what a heart piecing pain it must have been to witness. I can't help but think of Mary, his own mother, with John the beloved, watching Him hang on that cross, excruciating pain on both sides. Jesus told her that her heart would be pieced, and that it was.

But then … 'The Comforter' . Oh how we need The Comforter to heal the pain, the brokenness, the heartaches that probably every soul on earth experiences at some point in their lives. Oh how wonderful that the God of all creation should come to us as a Comforter. Some things sooth the pain … music, pleasure, pain killers of various sorts and how desperately the word searches for relief … but 'The Comforter' is The Healer, The Helper, The Encourager and indeed The Lover of Our Souls.

Then He says : "Your grief will be turned into joy" and "no one will take your joy away from you." (John 16: 20 & 22).

He also said a little earlier in John 15: 11 "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full"

So abide in Him, strengthen yourself in Him and be thankful that we do have a real Comforter that comes alongside us to help us, uphold us, to carry us when we're too weak and to give us a true and deep well of joy that is not dependent on our circumstances and it never runs dry, but we must remember to draw from it daily. 'The joy of the Lord is your strength.'