“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NKJV).

How does God comfort us in suffering? How is the Holy Spirit our Comforter? We know God does deliver us from every trouble, but we still go through troubles. We know that God comforting us doesn’t mean all the troubles just go away when we want them to, and we certainly know it doesn’t mean that troubles never come. How are we comforted?

We are comforted by knowing who God is, by being reminded of His character and promises. The Holy Spirit fills our heart with God’s love, and we know that we are loved even when we are suffering. We are reminded that God is working out His good purposes, and we can, and should, trust Him and submit ourselves to what He’s doing in our lives.

There’s another kind of comfort from Psalm 23, “Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (verse 4, NKJV). You are protected with the rod—beating away the wolves. You are guided by the staff—kept to the Way.

One of the jobs of our friend, the Holy Spirit, is to remind us of what Jesus taught, so that we might stay on the straight and narrow path. We may be suffering because we’ve forgotten something or have not rightly understood and applied one of Christ’s teachings. The Holy Spirit may use discomfort to redirect our thoughts and actions, but it’s a comfort. It’s a comfort to know you can’t stray too far. You are kept by God in Christ. When we submit our lives to God’s control—His keeping—then we can take comfort in the Holy Spirit’s perfect work of keeping us with Him.

If you have asked God to take control of your life, then believe that He is doing it. See His comforting at work in all the discomforts of the day. What is He showing you? Are you being thankful? Are you trusting that He’s directing your thoughts and actions? It is a comfort to know that you can entrust your keeping to God. He is the Good Shepherd. We can choose to let Him keep us and let Him guide our paths. It’s a comfort to know we aren’t in control, but we are in the best hands.