“Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me,” (John 16:32).
It takes so little to remind us that we are nothing without Christ, our Rock, our Surety, our Salvation. How fear-filled, how weather beaten, how unsure of the truth are these apostles once they have deserted their Master? And yet how resolute they are, how stormproof, how filled with power from on high once they receive the Holy Spirit, the Comforter that Christ promised them. They even rejoice in suffering, “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name,” (Acts 5:41), a condition only possible in the power of the Spirit. This divine strength and support from God is so important that when it was withdrawn from our Savior during his final hour on the cross, even he cried out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
You see, sometimes our faith burns brightly, and sometimes it may do no more than smolder like a hot coal. And still at other times it may be able to only produce a few sparkling cinders. And yet it is still a true fire. Even if my faith is nothing more than smoking flax, God will not quench it. Rather, by the breath of his Spirit he nurtures it yet again until it becomes a burning and a shining light (Matt. 11).
And yet God may choose to withdraw his presence from us temporarily to humble us so we can clearly see our own weakness. But even then, as Paul explains in 2 Corinthians 12:9, God’s strength is perfected in our weakness, for when we are weak, then he is strong. Therefore, “most gladly will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
God loves to show his power in our weakness. One New Testament example (and there are many) is when Jesus called to Peter to come to him on top of the water in the midst of the raging storm. Christ did not reach out his hand to help him until Peter had almost sunk into the stormy lake (Matt. 14:29-32). Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity; he is our sure and stable refuge in times of trouble (Nahum 1:7). So though my faith be no more than a mustard seed (Matt. 17:20), it may yet have life enough to spring forth, and strength enough through Christ to throw the mountain of my sins into the sea of my Savior’s blood.
Contemplations:
- Lord, let my faith and love be ever toward you like those two apostles, John and Peter. As it was with John, may my faith lean on your bosom (John 13:23), desirous of possessing the treasure of those merits and mercies of your heart. As it was with Peter, may I ever follow you wherever you go. But do not let me do as Peter did for a time and follow you at a distance. Alas, have I not often, like Peter, denied you? As you are the Truth, every lie on my tongue denies you (John 14:6). How often, Lord, with Peter, has nothing but my speech betrayed me over and over again to you. Help me see my own weaknesses and rely on your strength as I stay close to you.
- If at any time I deny you, Lord, do not deny looking back on me as you did on Peter (Luke 22:61), to shame me so that you can keep me from falling from one wickedness into another. And do not be so angry with me that you take away your anger and resolve not to correct me anymore (Isa. 1:5). Let me fall into the hands of God, as David desired, and not into the hands of my enemies to punish me, for even “if thou slay me, yet will I trust in thee,” (Job 13:15).
- O Lord, you that ever seeks me, you that never leaves me, I ask that you seek me, find me, keep me, and do not leave me to myself. If at any time you choose to remind me of the hand that holds me by leaving me for a time, then leave me. But I pray, as you have promised, do not leave me comfortless (John 14). Though you seem at times to sleep in my soul (Matt. 8:24) while the ship of my life is raging over stormy waters, you will awake in me before I drown because your faithfulness cannot miscarry as long as you live in me and I in you.
Further References for John 16:32 as it pertains to being forsaken:
2 Tim. 4:16; Mark 14:27; John 12:23, 16:2.
