Wildflowers: Week One / Dorcas the Daisyنموونە

Death Defeated

What makes a perennial return year after year while annuals are one and done? Botanists call them cold-hardy plants, meaning they can survive winter and come back to bloom another day. You might say that Dorcas was dormant and a bit of Son-shine would bring her back to life.

Peter was just the guy to bring intense light. A friend of mine recently posted, "Have you ever met someone that was sunshine in human form?" Just being with these types of people brings great growth in our lives. I've observed that these light carriers spend large amounts of time at the feet of Jesus and it was no different for Peter. After the crowds cleared the room, he dropped to his knees in prayer. Don't miss that. Some people run into a situation and think they need to do something. Others arrive knowing that it is God who must do something. Peter knew the limitations of his flesh and the unlimited ability of God.

Peter prayed just two words: "Tabitha, arise." That's it. No fasting. No fretting. No long, loquacious words. What happened in response to his radical faith? "She opened her eyes" (Acts 9:40). Have you heard the saying, "There are none so blind as those who will not see"? It is possible to look at someone and never really see them. Or look at a problem and never observe the solution right in front of your face. Maybe suffering is a way to open your eyes.

Peter presented Dorcas to her friends alive! What a reward for their faith. Instead of planning for a funeral, they prepared for a resurrection. The cluster brought revival. Imagine how Dorcas felt. How incredibly grateful she must have been. I wish that Scripture told us what she did in the years that followed. What we do know is that she holds the honor of being the only woman in Scripture to have risen from the dead.

Read the verses below and answer the following questions:

"But Peter put them all out, 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. Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive" (Acts 9:40-41).

Practical Observation

1. List three things Peter did. Explain why you think he wanted privacy.

Knelt down is a lovely way of saying to bow. This posture speaks of complete humility. Some stand proud. Others sit in judgment. But when we kneel we show our vulnerability, our need for someone greater than ourselves. Those who bow down will witness God rise up on their behalf.

2. What did Peter say, and where do you think he learned this?

Arise is the only word Peter spoke besides the woman's name. When honest and sincere, prayer can be simple. God knows the heart and we don't need to convince Him of something with many words. Arise. Get up. Stand up. Get out of bed. So much meaning in just one word.

3. What happened next? How do you think Tabitha felt?

4. What did Peter do next, and what position did Tabitha assume?

5. Who did Peter summon? Describe how you think they felt.

Personal Application

a. Has God ever called you to solitude, a season to talk to Him alone about a problem? Describe that situation and what you learned in the midst of it. 

b. Prayer comes in all shapes and sizes. Peter's prayer was short and succinct. List some of the prayers you have obsessed over with long, drawn-out sentences. How can you reduce these to very few words? Now, offer this to God and let Him take care of the rest.

c. Two things described Dorcas post-resurrection: 1) She opened her eyes. 2) She rose up. Reflecting on your time of darkness, disease, or distress, how can you simply open your eyes and rise up? What is God asking you to do today?