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PINIMAGE Hopeless. Dead. Beyond repair or help.
Maybe it’s your marriage.
Maybe it’s a wayward child.
Maybe it’s a failed or broken relationship of another kind.
Maybe it’s death of your physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual well-being.
Whatever the case…
Dead. Dead so long you’ve given up hope.
I pray today’s post moves you to a new perspective and a renewed hope in the power of prayer and what God can do.
I was reading a story in the Bible that I’ve come across many times over the years. I know the story well enough. But this time, upon reading it, God met me in a special way, pointing out things I had previously overlooked.
The story is about a girl named Tabitha. Let’s look at it briefly.
36 Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity. 37 In those days she became ill and died, and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. 38 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, “Please come to us without delay.” 39 So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them. 40 But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. 41 And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then, calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. 42 And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. Acts 9:36-42
I want to point out a few powerful thoughts for you today – reasons to hope again.
Tabitha was greatly loved. She was giving and kind. We also see that she was a Christ-follower. (v36) Next, we see that Tabitha became ill and died.
Contrary to a common expectation held by many, bad things can happen to good people.
A thought crossed my mind. Often when people enter into a relationship with Christ they expect that life should all of the sudden become easy and trouble free. This was not the case for Tabitha. She loved God and she loved people. And she became ill and died.
Do you know this story? If you’ve heard this story before you might immediately jump to the part where Peter comes on the scene but don’t miss this…
PINIMAGETabitha died and her body was washed for burial and placed in an upper room. NEXT we see that two disciples go to a nearby town to find Peter and bring him back. Looking at a map, Lydda is roughly 8-10 miles from Joppa. Let’s do the math.
Tabitha wasn’t “5 minutes dead” when Peter arrived. She was more like “days dead.”
She was more like days dead.
Is that how dead your circumstances feel? Days dead? I doubt the mourners were feeling hopeful.
Every time I’ve read this story, I saw it sort of like a play. They place Tabitha in the upper room and Peter waits stage left for his cue. I never considered that she had been dead for quite a while before he walked into the upstairs room.
Days dead.
When Peter does arrive at the home of Tabitha, he is met by mourners who show him the clothing, (tunics and other garments ) she had made for them while she was with them. V. 39.
They recounted the precious memories before her death.
Do you go back and visit a time before the death of your circumstance occurred? Do you mourn the loss? It’s what we often do when we cannot bring ourselves to hope for life again.
Peter sends the mourners out of the room. He gets alone with God and that which was dead.
What does Peter do? – Peter, a respected apostle
He prays.
Notice the account doesn’t mention the words of his prayer. I believe that is because it’s not the words of the prayer, it’s the God of the prayer that makes the difference. What I know we can count on is that he had no plan “b”. He did not think of any strength within himself. His hope was in the power of God. He prayed.
Let’s look at another power insight here. Once he prays the text says “then he turned to the body.” V.40.
He turned to the death. He acknowledged that this was just a body with no life. The situation was still as real as ever and the girl was very dead. But his hope was in God – the One who has power over death.
His hope was in God – the One who has power over death.
He spoke. “Tabitha arise.”
I know you’ve been dead for days. Arise.
I know humanly speaking there is no way. Arise.
In verse 40 it says, Tabitha opened her eyes and when she saw Peter, she sat up.
I’ve gotta share another insight. The mourners were downstairs feeling hopeless. But Peter was praying and seeing the power of God unfold.
Maybe it’s time you go back upstairs.
The next verse might be my favorite part. It says, “And he (Peter) gave her his hand and raised her up. Then, calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.” V.41
He presented her alive.
Think about it. He presented her alive.
What’s dead in your life?
Friend, stay with me here. Many people stop hoping because hoping is painful.
But my challenge to you is to pray. Pray like Peter did. Pray to the God of hope. Ask Him to bring life where death has stayed for too long.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13
Consider one last thought with me today. Pain and death came to Tabitha’s house. But it didn’t come to stay. Verse 42 says this, “And it became known (that Tabitha was dead…days dead, and now she was alive) throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.”
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
God received glory by making the dead alive.
Maybe you’re saying, “It’s been too long. My situation is days dead.”
Maybe you’re like the mourners downstairs – keeping a distance from the pain.
Go to that dead thing and meet God there. Pray and wait on Him.
Hope in the Lord, my friend. Hope in the Lord.
I’d like to pray with you over the dead things in your life. Are you ready to hope in the Lord? Please e-mail me at tammy@tammyontuesday.com and put in the subject line: I want to hope again. Then tell me how I can be praying with you.
It’s time to hope again.
(original post – October 17, 2017)
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