Peter's "Dark Night of the Soul"

"And the Lord turned and looked at Peter.  Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him,"Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  So Peter went out and wept bitterly."  Luke 22:61-62

Peter had witnessed the arrest of the Iesous, and he followed the Iesous and the temple police who had arrested him to the home of the high priest.  A fire had been ignited in the courtyard to warm those that had assembled to witness mocking of the Christ.  "Peter sat among them, (v.55)."  Peter believed that his presence was anonymous, and was not.

An anonymous servant girl looked at Peter and said that he too had been with the Iesous.  Peter was startled by her harassment of his anonymity.  He insisted that she was mistaken.  She had pointed out the wrong man.  
And then the unthinkable happened to Peter again from another source.  "You also are of them (v.58)."  Peter vehemently denied the witness of yet another person.  Why was this happening to Peter?  For this was the trial of the Iesous and not that of Peter.

It happened to Peter once more, and he exclaimed with an oath, "Man, I do not know what you are saying! (v. 60)."  We are told that while Peter was yet speaking the rooster crowed.  "And the Lord turned and looked at Peter."  Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times."  So Peter went out and wept bitterly (v.61-62).

Denial is served cold.  Little did Peter realize that his own words would become the source of his spiritual test.  We too are often overtaken by our own words and actions.  We too believe that there were no witnesses to our words or actions. We entrap ourselves as Peter had done.  Here, as with us, nothing else
was needed.  A smarting chagrin  fastened tightly upon his soul.  Denial is served cold.

He could never have anticipated this night.  This is Peter's dark night of the soul.  "Night had claimed his soul and he found himself beset by the relentless and crashing denial of his Lord.  It was not so much what the witnesses had said about him as it was that look from his Lord.

That look was fiercely knowing coupled with and absolute and compelling grasp of what had just taken place. And there was mercy too. The Lord remembers our frame, He remembers that we are breath.

After the resurrection, Peter would be invited to attend another fire. It would take place on the beach where his risen Lord had prepared a breakfast for Peter and the other disciples.

There is restoration after failure.  There is fellowship when I have lived in denial of Him.  I too have failed him.  I too have lived in denial.  I had to come back home.  You can too.

For more information about Dr. Rich and his teaching ministry, please visit his website.