The Miracles of Generosity

In the 9th chapter of the book of Acts, verses 36 to 42, I found an amazing story, a miracle story that took place in a small town called Joppa. It reads: "In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor. About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, ‘Please come at once!’ Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said: ‘Tabitha, get up.’ She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet.

Then he called the believers and the widows and presented her to them alive. This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord."

Wow! A dead woman coming back to life! I said to myself, "Indeed, St. Peter is great!"—thinking it was through St. Peter’s prayer that the woman came back to life. But the Spirit of the Lord, Who is the Greatest Unseen Tutor of all time, led me back to verse 39, which says: "Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them."

Now, look closely at the statement in this verse that I purposely rendered in bold letters. The Holy Spirit allowed me to see that it was the generosity of Tabitha while she was still alive that brought her back to life. The robes and other clothing that were carefully and beautifully hand-made by Tabitha and given as gifts to the widows and other disciples of Christ in the town of Joppa were noted by her townmates and this did not escape the eyes of the Lord. Her coming back to life was the Lord’s great reward for her good works for all brothers and sisters in the faith to see.

And as verse 42 says: "This became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord"—not in Peter. The Holy Spirit then brought me to the book of Revelation 22:12, which says, " ‘Behold, I Am coming soon! My reward is with Me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.’ " Also, Romans 2:6-7 says, "God ‘will give to each person according to what he has done,’ To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, He will give Eternal Life."

To prove the Holy Spirit’s revelation to me that it was Tabitha’s generosity that merited God’s perfect, amazing reward that brought her back to life, He brought me further to 2 Kings 4:8-17, an account of another generous woman, which says: "One day Elisha went to Shunem. And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat. She said to her husband, ‘I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. Let's make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stay there whenever he comes to us.’ One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there. He said to his servant Gehazi, ‘Call the Shunamite.’ So he called her, and she stood before him. Elisha said to him, ‘Tell her, "You have gone to all this trouble for us [meaning the food, room, table, bed, chair, and lamp that the woman prepared and gave Elisha]. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?" ’ She replied, ‘I have a home among my own people.’ ‘What can be done for her?’ Elisha asked. Gehazi said, ‘Well, she has no son and her husband is old.’ Then Elisha said, ‘Call her.’ So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. ‘About this time, next year,’ Elisha said, ‘you will hold a son in your arms.’ ‘No, my Lord,’ she objected. ‘Don’t mislead your servant, O man of God!’ But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her."

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