In the movie Forrest Gump, we hear that life is like a box of chocolates. “You never know what you’re gonna get.”
Life has its ups and downs. Not many things are guaranteed. Batters strike out. Pitchers give up the long ball. Our world has in it words like “cancer,” “failure,” “unsafe,” and “it’s over."
The uncertainty of life raises the question of whether there is anything certain. Thankfully, we do have the promise that God will care for the flock. Give your ear to the truth of God’s presence and the promise of an eternal tomorrow.
So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some time with a certain Simon, a tanner.
Acts 9:39-43
Tabitha gets up. She opens her eyes and gets up. The story is miraculous. Tabitha, who once was dead, is now alive.
Our story continues from yesterday’s devotion. Tabitha is a saint of a lady and is dearly loved by others. She becomes ill and dies. The apostle Peter is relatively close in a nearby town, so the people call for him to come. You could say that Peter “pulls a Jesus” here by calling her back to life. In actuality, he does pull a Jesus. We are told that before Peter calls for her to get up he prays. Through prayer and a trusting faith, Peter calls this saint back to life.
While this scene sounds otherworldly, we see that a Jesus-follower can speak words of life into people. I’m not guaranteeing a duplication of what Peter did necessarily. Rather, we see that speaking out of prayer can bring change. Look for ways to speak words of life into other people today.
Jamie Mackey
Lord, use me as a vehicle of life into others today. Let my words be your words. Let my words and my life point people to you. Amen.
Go in the assurance of God’s presence;
Go in being God’s child;
Go in the strength of God’s hand;
Go in the hope of the eternal tomorrow;
Go in the ability to speak words of life into others.