TABITHA

Peter, James, and John were with Jesus when he raised a dead twelve-year-old girl back to life. Peter remembered Jesus’ compassionate and powerful words. “Little girl, I say to you, get up” (Mark 5:41). “Get up!”

Peter also remembered walking into the little village of Nain. On that day, Jesus’ entourage had encountered a funeral procession. Jesus was coming into town as the mourners were proceeding to the graveyard. “When the Lord saw (the lonely widow), he had compassion on her and said, ‘Don’t weep.’ Then he came up and touched the open coffin, and the pallbearers stopped. And he said, ‘Young man, I tell you, get up!’ ” (Luke 7:13–14). Peter remembered the Lord’s simple command. “Get up!”

And, Peter remembered standing in the cemetery with Mary and Martha. He heard Jesus say, “take away the stone” (John 11:39) and then “Lazarus, come out” (John 11:43). Amazingly, though he’d been dead for four days and his body was already beginning to decay, Lazarus had spung to life.

Peter remembered.

While Peter was still in Lydda with Aeneas, messengers from Joppa arrived and “urged him, ‘Don’t delay in coming with us’ ” (Acts 9:38).

Why? What’s wrong? What’s so urgent?

In Joppa, a dear and saintly woman, a friend of God, known for “always doing good works and acts of charity” (Acts 9:36) had fallen ill and died.

She was dead. Cold. Dead. But Peter remembered Jesus’ faithfulness and fearlessness in the face of death. He remembered his Lord’s words. “Get up!” … “Get up!” … “Come out!”

“Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down, prayed, and turning toward the body said, ‘Tabitha, get up’ ” (Acts 9:40). Peter said what Jesus had once said. They weren’t magic words. They were faith-filled words. “Get up!”

Immediately, “she opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. He gave her his hand and helped her stand up. He called the saints and widows and presented her alive” (Acts 9:41).

By the gracious power of Almighty God … with Peter’s faithfulness … and with Tabitha’s delightful testimony, “this became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord” (Acts 9:42).

“… think on these things” (Philippians 4:8, KJV).