Did I not see you with Jesus?

Did I not see you with Jesus?

“As Simon Peter stood there warming himself, someone said to him, ‘Aren’t you another of his disciples?’  He denied it saying, ‘I am not.’  One of the high priest’s servants, a relation of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, ‘didn’t I see you in the garden with him?’  Again Peter denied it; and at once a cock crew.”
  (John 18: 25 – 27)

Everything in the Scriptures is written to instruct us.  What lesson is the above incident teaching me?  The lesson is very plain:  How the mighty can fall!  If it is possible for Peter who had been so close to Jesus to fall, who can be spared?  Is the Holy Spirit not right when he spoke through Paul that we should work out our salvation in fear and trembling?  We gain strength and victory only through Jesus.  Cut off from him, we wither.  There is nothing we can do by ourselves.  A curious question is:  Did the grace of Christ abandon Peter on this occasion in order to teach him a lesson in humility or did Peter reject grace?  I recall the black Saturday of June 1974 in Lusaka.  On that occasion, I had an analogous experience to Peter’s.  The difference is that Peter recovered immediately.  It took me a longtime to recover.  Lord Jesus, I thank you for calling me back.  Grant me deep trust in you and humility as I work out my salvation in fear and trembling.