Peter wept bitterly because God turned his failure into repentance. Explore why Peter wept bitterly (Luke 22:61–62). A single, providential look from Jesus pierced his heart, and brokenness became the path to restoration (Psalm 51:17; John 21). If you’ve failed publicly or privately, there is hope: the same Savior who saw Peter sees you. Peter wept bitterly—and grace met him there. https://youtu.be/RgcgFxbg4AM Table of contentsWe're All Unrecognizable At TimesWhen Peter Was UnrecognizableGod Works Providentially in Our Lives to Produce RepentanceTwo Examples of God’s Providence in ScripturePeter Wept Bitterly Because of God’s ProvidenceWhen Peter Wept Bitterly, God Was Pleased With His Broken and Contrite HeartOur Greatest Ministry Might Be After Our Greatest FailureTwo Encouragements from When Peter Bitterly I know some people can’t watch scary movies. Whenever there’s a scary part, they look away or put their hands over their eyes. My father-in-law, Rick, has a similar problem, but with movies with awkward scenes. When people are embarrassing themselves really badly, he can’t watch. I learned this years ago when we were watching Mrs. Doubtfire at his house in Northern California, where Katie and I grew up. In the movie, Robin Williams loses custody of his children. Desperate to spend more time with them, he disguises himself as an elderly British nanny named Mrs. Doubtfire so he can be hired to care for them. At one moment in the movie, his prosthetic mask slips off, revealing his identity to his ex-wife and children. It’s humiliating, and when I looked over at my father-in-law on the couch, he had his hands over his face and said he couldn’t watch. There’s a moment from David’s life that my father-in-law wouldn’t be able to watch because it’s so embarrassing. David was fleeing from Saul. No place in Israel felt safe, so he chose to hide in enemy territory with the Philistines, where he knew Saul wouldn’t chase after him: 1 Samuel 21:10 David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11 And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances, ‘Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?” Gath is one of the Philistines’ principal cities, where Goliath was from. This was the song they sang about David, and the ten thousands he defeated were Philistines. So it didn’t take long for them to recognize him. 1 Samuel 21:12 And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard. David is understandably afraid they’re going to kill him. This is the moment my father-in-law has to look away. He started clawing at the doors of the gates, acting like a madman, letting drool run down his beard. In Scripture, there are examples of people suffering or being punished, but in terms of sheer embarrassment, I don’t think anything beats this account. We're All Unrecognizable At Times A few chapters later, Nabal, the fool, cut the beards of David’s men. David was so angry that he went to kill him. You say, “Wow, he wanted to kill someone for cutting his men’s beards?” In the ancient Middle East, a man’s strength and dignity were often associated with his beard. Drooling in one’s beard was considered a horrible indignity, but that’s how desperate David was. It worked: 1 Samuel 21:14 Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? 15 Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?” It was taboo to afflict crazy people because others believed God had already afflicted the person, and man shouldn’t intervene in God’s judgment.