Shortly after Paul’s famous conversion in Acts 9 the story refocuses on Peter as he traveled from one place to another praying, healing, and performing miracles.
In Acts 9:36 we meet a believer who lived Joppa, named Tabitha. She was a model citizen who had gained the respect, love, and admiration of her neighbors through her good works and the way she fought poverty. We meet her and immediately she gets sick and dies. Her family, friends and neighbors were devastated, and they called on Peter to help. Peter arrives and heals her. The account of the power of the Holy Spirit spread like wildfire and with that the church moved ever forward.
This is an astonishing piece of scripture. Sadly, when we don’t bring it home and into our hearts it remains nothing but a story. Let’s look at this deeper:
36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. 37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room.
38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!”
Ø Think about it: Tabitha was so meaningful to people because of her work with the less fortunate that her death caused a gut-wrenching reaction in the people around her and they took the time to protest and speak out to the disciples. The disciples in turn saw the people’s their desperation and thought it warranted Peter’s intervention.
Ø Think about it: All members involved truly believed that Peter could do something. They called out to him because they had faith in the power he had through the Holy Spirit.
39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived, he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.
Ø Think about it: Peter went with them! Not only did they believe in Peter, but he believed in them. Connected as brothers in one faith they supported each other.
40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes and seeing Peter she sat up.
Ø Think about it: Peter knowing it would not be his power that could save Tabitha, immediately got down on his knees and prayed.
Ø Think about it: His prayer was answered. With clarity, security and with faith in the Holy Spirit he turned towards the dead body of Tabitha and spoke.
There are times in out lives that we are looking for a miracle. Whether it be for us of for someone in our community we look to God for a solution. Many times our prayers go unanswered. Our expectations of what a miracle should look like need to change. A miracle is not a singular event performed by a singular person. Poof! It is miraculous because it is an awe-inspiring series of events that involves an incredible amount of unbroken faith and obedience to God from countless contributors.
It Started with Tabitha’s obedience in the way she lived, the types of friends and family she surrounded herself with who ended up advocating for her upon her death, the faith of the community in Peter as a leader and the Holy Spirit that worked in him, the obedience it took Peter to stop everything to answer the call, the humility and devotion to stop to pray in the middle of a devastating emergency, the power to listen to God’s whisper, and finally the courage to act.
Live the miracle, be the miracle, believe in the miracle.
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