Tabitha became sick and died. – Acts 9:37 (Acts 9:36-42)
Folks who do good fer others get sick and die. Folks who harm others get sick and die. Death and sickness be tha lot of all, good and evil, them saved inter tha Son and them not.
In Joppa thar whar a disciple named Tabitha. She whar always doing good and helping tha poor. About that time she became sick and died. Her body whar washed fer burial and placed in an upstairs room.
Now when some other disciples heard that Old Pete be in Lydda, which be but a long reach from Joppa, they sent two fellers who urged Old Pete ter come double quick.
When Old Pete arrived, he went in ter tha upstairs room all by his lonesome, got down on his knees and prayed. Prayed what, we don’ know. Old Pete ne’er said and since none be in tha room with him but dead Tabitha, we kin not know. But most likely it be a prayer that matched tha thoughts of Skipper fer when he turned toward tha dead woman and said, “Tabitha, get up!” she opened her eyes.
Think on this a wee little bit.
A long time be fer Old Pete prayed that lass back ter life, God heard Elijah the Tishbite’s prayers and raised a widow’s child’s back ter life. (1 King 17:17-24).
Years later tha prophet Elisha went ter see a dead boy. Elisha cried out ter tha Lord. He laid himself on tha dead body, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretched himself out on him, tha boy’s body grew warm. Then tha lad sneezed seven times and opened his eyes (2 Kings 4:18-37).
Later when some fellers tossed Elisha’s body inter a tomb, his bones touched a corpse and a dead feller came ter life and stood on his feet (2 Kings 13:20–21)
Tha Son raised ter life tha only son of a widow (Luke 7:11–17), Jairus’ daughter (Luke 8:49–56), Lazarus (John 11:1-44), his own self (Matthew 28:1-20; Mark 16:1-20; Luke 24:1-49; John 20:1-21:25), and some saints in Jerusalem (Matthew 27:50-54).
Some time after Old Pete prayed fer Tabitha, Saul Paul would throw himself on tha lifeless body of Eutychus and brung him back ter life.
Point be this: even dead, through tha power of Skip’s Holy Ghost of Truth, folks kin live agin (Galatians 2:20). That be a key message ter all: tha Son came that we might have life and a boat load of it (John 10:10). Be fer we turn towards tha Son we be dead in our sins, our spirits so cold that we prefer death ter life (Ephesians 2:1). But through the rising of his own self from that tomb, tha Son kin put his risen life in us if only we ‘ill ask.
Tabitha, seeing Old Pete, sat up. He took her by tha hand and helped her ter her feet. Then he called fer tha believers he had sent out of tha room and especially tha widows, who no doubt whar sure they had seen tha last of Tabitha, and presented her ter them alive. This miraculous act became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in tha Son.
Ter day make it yer task ter look about fer any signs of death, things decaying, rotting, and bring it ter tha Son. Who knows but that in yer kneeling, and praying and asking, our blessed Healer ‘ill put fresh life them old dry bones.