Peter, outside the boat, sinking in the water; cried out to Jesus saying, “Lord, help me.” In that scene we see how our abiding with Him functions. Hearing Peter, and seeing him, “Immediately” Jesus reached out to Peter and the two gripped hands. Whose grip do we suppose was the greater? Surely Peter’s was with all he possessed of strength. More surely than that was the Lord’s sure grip of Peter: sure – immediate – a permanent offer – more than sufficient for helping Peter.
“WITH OUTSTRETCHED ARMS AND A MIGHTY HAND.” Let us include the cross —- “The Lord has saved us,” Our abiding in Christ is His desire for us — and for Himself who desires our fellowship. He is Love. And Love suffers long — until the circle of love is complete.
We are meant to live in fellowship with God. On our side of things, a choice remains to be seen. On His side of things, the choice was never even really a choice. “He came unto His own,” we read; “But His own received Him not.” There, with His continuous “outstretched arm and mighty hand” — coming for His own — it is, people that reject the Lord, not the Lord who rejects men. “Instantly,” with no needed plea except an honest asking for help, Jesus reached out and grasped the hand of Peter.
To “abide in Christ, from the inside of ourselves looking out, is a struggle – is a battle of faith. But when we focus on His goodness – His unfailing love – His “immediate” response to Peter – the cross He bore long before our lives began — and when we hear softly and tenderly that Jesus is calling — when we grasp that the strength of our hope is Him giving— we can rest assured that Jesus never changes; never fails and He will not fail us.
He is the way. Abiding in Him is a constant choice in our new life in Christ. His choice of us is fixed — our choice of Him becomes fixed as well. As we grow more into His likeness — here a little — there a little — line upon line — precept upon precept: our failures, like Peter’s denial of Him three times — remind us that He never fails us. We have nor do we want anyway other to turn than to Him. “If we abide, He abides faithful” He is the surety of our success, the Savior of our lives, Lord by our own adoration.
This is a historical narrative. It happened. It is recorded for our viewing. It tells us nothing about Peter repenting, or changing His thinking — that was yet to come in Peter’s life — and would happen after he was told that he would deny his Lord — three times he would deny the Lord.
We cannot “abide in Him” in our own strength. We can, however, cry out to Him saying, “Lord help me.”
Is this not what He desires? – to help us? Can we even imagine that He would refuse? And even then — to abide in Him — do we not see again and again — the “Outstretched arms and mighty hands” freely reaching to us — for us? He is the Giver of all good things.
Buddy