John 15:4-8 AMP ‘My Father is glorified and honored by this, when you bear much fruit, and prove yourselves to be My [true] disciples. If you remain in Me and My words remain in you [that is, if we are vitally united and My message lives in your heart], ask whatever you wish and it will be done for you. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown out like a [broken off] branch, and withers and dies; and they gather such branches and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. Remain in Me, and I [will remain] in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself without remaining in the vine, neither can you [bear fruit, producing evidence of your faith] unless you remain in Me.
Christ calls us to remain in Him, to abide. You have to believe the Lord and believe His word in order to receive from Him. You don’t receive from God by arrogantly putting Him to the test and saying, ‘If you are real then do this, and if you don’t I am walking away.’ You can’t hold God or His answers hostage. He is neither dumb nor manipulated. If you start with Him then walk away, you never intended on staying in the first place. He knew that. According to the Mirriam Webster dictionary, one of the meanings of the word ‘abide‘ is to ‘remain in a stable or fixed state’, to affix yourself and stay constant in your relationship with Him. It is a relationship after all. It is not a ‘situationship’ where you enter and exit based on your personal feelings, proclivities, or hardships. It’s a commitment, a covenant, and your feelings don’t much matter in this regard. Jesus needs disciples, not deserters.
Faith is what pleases God. His word says, ‘But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ (Hebrews 11:6 KJV) You can’t lose your faith and fall away. What do you have to lose by abiding? Nothing. What do you stand to gain by abiding? Everything. If you fall away you can be sure that the need you have will most likely never be met because if you could do it yourself in the first place, you wouldn’t have a need for God. If you fall away and come back you will still be stuck at the same place, having made no progress. Nothing is impossible for God but you have to increase your faith and convince yourself of this. (Luke 1:37 KJV)
I like this interaction between Jesus and Peter: ‘From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. ‘ (John 6:66-68 NKJV) Even some of Jesus disciples abandoned Him. Peter was well aware that even though things might be challenging or appear downright offensive at times, there was still no better option outside of Jesus.
God wants to show up for you. God wants to meet your need. God wants you to attach yourself to Him, grow in Him, rely on Him, and REMAIN in Him. Stay fixed, planted. He will never leave nor forsake you and He will answer you.
Jeremiah 3:22 KJV ‘Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God. ‘