How many times have I needed a friend? The number of times is countless! Having a friend that is available to be right by my side to comfort me, counsel me — well, that is a yearning desire of many!
Such a friend would be a delightful relief during times of sorrow and uncertainty. *Sigh* Is there such a friend??
How wonderful to have a friend we could count on! A friend that is comforting, loving, and yet honest with us — a friend who is not too busy to come be WITH us in our need.
When I think about needing a friend, I remember the old Carole King song: ‘You’ve Got A Friend‘. The lyrics of that song are an amazing description of the very Loving Friend called the Holy Spirit! The Holy Spirit truly is THE Loving Friend who sticks closer to us than anyone else!
There is a Loving Friend Who sticks closer than a brother! (Proverbs 18:24b)
THE Comforter From Heaven
One of the lines in the Carole King song is:
- All you have to do is call, And I’ll be there, yes, I will!
This is exactly what the Holy Spirit (known as The Comforter) does:
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble! (Psalm 46:1)
For whosoever shall CALL on the name of the Lord (God) shall be saved (rescued, delivered)! (Romans 10:13)
What a comfort to have The Comforter right here with me! The Holy Spirit is the ‘very, exceedingly ready presence of help‘! He is a very NOW helper — A True Friend!
Jesus Christ (Yahushua Messiah) described the Holy Spirit as being ‘The Comforter’:
The Comforter, the Holy Spirit whom the Father (God) WILL SEND in My name. He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatever I have said to you. (John 14:26; See Also John 14:16, 15:26, 16:7)
Perhaps you have experienced this remarkable secret. You called out, maybe only whispered, in the name of the Lord, our Savior, (Jesus Christ/Yahushua Messiah), and something happened! It might have taken a couple of minutes, or a half-hour, or an hour, or a whole day or more, BUT SOMETHING GOOD HAPPENED! God came to you in some sort of way and you knew He had answered you! God heard you and He did something that completely, totally convinced you that God, by His Holy Spirit came to your rescue!
This was part of Jesus’ mission! He came to this earth to do a very important job. He was filled with the LORD’s Holy Spirit in order to fulfill His job description: to be the Loving Friend who, by the Holy Spirit, comes to us to comfort and heal the brokenhearted (Luke 4:18).
I have experienced this powerful LOVE of our heavenly Father, the LORD God (Yahuwah Elohim). Many times, when troubled, confused, fearful, and nothing is going right, I call out for the LORD’s help. The results have always amazed me!
The heavenly Father God has promised to give the Holy Spirit to those who ask of Him. He will send the Holy Spirit to be with each one of us — to remain with us, abide with us, be present with us! (Luke 11:13). And, as the verse in Psalm 46 tells us, by the Holy Spirit, God IS a Very Present Help in trouble!
But, there are three simple conditions for this mighty help from this Loving Friend.
Three Simple Conditions
First: We Must Be Truly Sincere When Calling on God!
The LORD is near to all them that call upon Him, to All That Call Upon Him In Truth! (Psalm 145:18)
And you shall seek Me, and find Me, when you shall search for Me with ALL Your Heart! (Jeremiah 29:13)
I beg You with All My Heart, be kind to me, as You promised. (Psalm 119:58)
If we are seeking God’s help, then being genuinely sincere is essential. We must call for God’s help in truth, in complete honesty from our heart. Half-hearted requests for help will not be answered!
Second: We must call upon the true, only living, eternal God, the Creator of all things, the LORD God of the Bible, (Yahuwah Elohim)!
Thus saith the LORD… the LORD (Yahuwah) is His name; Call unto Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know. (Jeremiah 33:2-3)
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Romans 10:13)
Jesus said,… Truly, Truly, I say unto you, Whatsoever you shall ask the Father in My Name, He will give it you. (John 16:23b)
We must call out to the one true God, even if it is only a whisper. Sincere prayers to the true LORD God will be answered. But prayers to the false gods of false religions will not receive the help of the LORD’s Holy Spirit.
Third: We must call to God using our voice! I believe the heavenly Father God wants to hear our voice!
I cried unto the LORD (Yahuwah) with my voice, and He heard me out of His Holy Hill. (Psalm 3:4)
Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. (Psalm 27:7; see also Psa 64:1)
For the LORD God (Yahuwah Elohim)… He will be very gracious unto you at the voice of your cry; when He shall hear it, He will answer you. (Isaiah 30:19b)
Let Me see your face, Let Me HEAR your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is beautiful. (Song of Solomon 2:14b)
Calling out to the LORD with our voice (even if only a whisper), is all it takes for the LORD God’s Holy Spirit to answer us and give us His comfort or counsel or direction! But the responsibility to make the call to God is up to us. The Holy Spirit does not pressure or force His way! He waits for us to make the call and start the conversation!
- (There is one more condition: Waiting Patiently for God’s Answer! Though it might tarry, it will come!)
In The Day When I Cried
The Holy Spirit truly is The Comforter! As we saw in Our Amazing Comforter, the LORD’s all-seeing Holy Spirit searches throughout the whole earth. looking for those who sincerely want God’s help and intervention. God’s Holy Spirit knows our weaknesses and problems. He knows our situation, knows our needs. He hears our sincere cries and answers us in our distress!
For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward Him (honestly want His help). (2Chronicles 16:9a)
If we need the Loving Friend who sticks closer to us than anyone else, then call out to the LORD God in the name of His Son, Jesus the Christ (Yahushua Messiah). Our Loving, Merciful Father God has promised to deliver, rescue, and save those who sincerely want His strength, His guidance, His help!
- Turn and look unto Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth (everyone); for I am God, the LORD God (Yahuwah Elohim), and besides Me there is no one else. (Isaiah 45:22)
- In The Day When I Cried, You (LORD), Answered Me, and strengthened me with strength in my soul. (Psalm 138:3)
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Related Articles:
- Have You Received the Holy Spirit Since You Believed
- The Holy Spirit: Our Amazing Comforter
- The Holy Spirit Will Guide You Into All Truth
- Sorrows and the Holy Spirit
- The Key to Gaining Understanding
- Do We Know If The LORD Hears Us?
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