Miserable Comforters — 

2,000 years ago, Jesus often quoted from the Greek version of the Old Testament, the Septuagint. There the Greek word Paraclete is used in Job for his "miserable comforters" (Job 16:1-2). Job was in the worst of distress and several friends tried to comfort him, but instead only criticized and accused him. It is easy to give the wrong advice and offend rather than help. In John 14:16 the writer used the same word for the comfort that the Holy Spirit gives to Christians. Sometimes human beings, even at their best, are of little or no comfort. We simply don't always have the wisdom to say the right things. The Holy Spirit is a comfort at all times. He stands with us and in us to comfort and support us in ways that no fellow mortal possibly can.