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Just a quick comment on this beautiful passage from the Apostle Paul, which describes the wonderful feeling we get from a close relationship with Our Lord. I know that in my life, I cried out to Jesus in my time of great darkness. I really connect with the way Paul wrote this particular verse too, as I was also in prison at the time of my renewal of faith. Granted, I wasn't there for defending the faith as Paul was, nothing that romantic. As a rock musician for many years, I "celebrated" the lifestyle that went along with it and found myself in a very bad state after about ten years of abuse. I had fallen into a horrible pattern of addiction and self-destruction that eventually led me to being arrested for drug possession in 2001 and subsequently I was jailed for six months. Most people would consider this a negative thing, and it was, don't get me wrong. But this period of my life was to be the greatest thing that could ever have happened to me. Sometimes it takes great suffering and hitting bottom before we are able to reach out our hands to Jesus Christ. In my case, a cellmate prayed for me and I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit fill me. I began reading my Bible again for the first time in years, and through the Gospel readings of Matthew and John, and the books of the Apostle Paul, I found the presence of Christ come to me. The funny thing was; He was always there. I still cry sometimes thinking about it, because He loves us all so much that He remains next to us through all of our trials and even through our periods of sin and rejection of His love.
Eventually I began reading the Old Testament again as well, and by this time I'd been released from two prisons; the actual one, and the one that the Enemy had contained me in through sin and vice. From the psalmody and especially the books of the Prophets, I rediscovered my long-lost relationship with the Father God. That's when I realized why Jesus and the Holy Spirit were constantly there at my side. They knew that I had never truly accepted God as my true Father. They knew that due to my own father abandoning me as a child that I'd rejected God's love along with my mortal father's seeming lack of it. The Holy Spirit opened the door for me, Jesus Christ took my hand, and led me to His Father God, who immediately took me in His mighty arms and hugged me, saying, "It's okay, my son. You came home to me. I have always known it. I love you." and I was His again forever.
The tears well in my eyes just typing this. They are tears of joy, however; as I remember that I finally knew at that moment what it really meant to say the words, "I'm deep in love with you, Abba Father." that I'd heard sung so many times but didn't quite understand. Thank you Holy Spirit, thank you Lord Jesus, and thank you Apostle Paul, for guiding me back to a relationship with my Father again.
If you find yourself lost and broken, just cry out, call to Jesus. He will take your hand, because He's standing right beside you, always.