Energy for the Dead

 •  1 min. read  •  grade level: 6
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Take a moment and find a place that’s almost 11 miles (18km) away from where you are right now. Go ahead I’ll wait. Got it? Now imagine for a moment walking that distance, right now, to tell a friend to come back with you to see a dead person. Once you arrive you don’t just sit down and talk. You turn right around and come back with your friend that same 11 miles to your starting point. That’s what the two men in Acts 9:36-4136Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did. 37And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber. 38And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them. 39Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them. 40But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 41And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive. (Acts 9:36‑41) did with their friend Peter to see their other, now dead, friend Dorcas. You know how the story ended—Peter raised Dorcas from the dead in the power of the Spirit of God.
Has the Lord sent you on an errand today? Is it a physically tiring one with little natural prospect of success? We can do everything we’re given to do for Him with energy from Him. The end of our journey won’t likely be to see someone raised from the dead. But we might see someone raised from spiritual lethargy, encouraged in the Lord or kept from heading toward eternal spiritual death. Look back at the story in Acts. It says that Lydda, where Peter was staying, was “nigh” to Joppa. Maybe your difficult errand today isn’t such a “big deal” after all.