Tabitha had an enviable skill.  She could sew anything.  Give her a scrap of fabric and she could fashion a baby’s outfit, or a tiny dress for a toddler.  Tabitha was generous with her ability so her friends and neighbors all benefited.

Many people in town had come to rely on Tabitha, so it was a shock when word went around that she was ill.  And when Tabitha died, they gathered to mourn her.  Many of the widows she had helped were there, weeping at their loss.  Some people in the neighborhood were followers of Jesus.  They knew that the Apostle Peter was in a nearby town where he had just healed a man who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years.  They hurried to beg Peter to come back with them. 

When Peter arrived at Tabitha’s house, he knelt by the body of this wonderful woman and prayed.  Then, he said, “Tabitha, get up!”  Her eyes opened and she sat up.  I can’t really imagine the excitement and joy all her friends experienced at seeing her alive again.

In Acts 9, where we read Tabitha’s story, we learn that word of this miracle spread quickly throughout the city and many people believed in Jesus Christ and became His followers.  That’s what will happen when you and I spread the word of the great things God has done.           

This is Luis Palau.