https://odb.org/MY/2023/02/27/seeing-a-need
The focus on Acts 9 is usually Saul’s conversion (he then became known as Paul) and supernatural encounter with the Lord on the road to Damascus. I’m glad to read today in Acts 9 about Peter raising up Tabitha (also known as Dorcas in Greek) from the dead. This is similar to Christ’s raising up of Jairus’ daughter and also those by Elijah and Elisha of ancient times. Sometimes, when we read Scripture, we tend to skim through the events as there could be many, but raising up someone as helpful as Tabitha would certainly have encouraged many at that time. The widows who benefitted from her generous help rejoiced. But as she had died and had been prepared for burial, her resurrection must have caused shock waves throughout Joppa and was a great precursor to Paul’s later forays with the Gospel into the land of the Gentiles. Indeed, Acts 9 recorded many believed after hearing about Tabitha.
This brings me to the question some of us briefly talked about yesterday during lunch. Why did God take away young promising leaders in ministry and church? For the past two years, we have seen quite a few pastors and church leaders passing on due to Covid and other illnesses. Could the Lord have pre-warned some of them, especially those with a heart condition or even other illnesses? There is so much work still not done. If these church leaders had lived longer, more could be done. In the case of Tabitha or Lazarus, the Lord did intervene.
There is no right and wrong answer here, but I think work, especially Kingdom work, will always be unfinished, no matter how long we live, and we get weaker as we age. Also, the same principle as God’s calling for us should apply – if we don’t respond, God will raise someone else. The work will get done whether by us or someone else. Also, for the person who passed on in the Lord, it is surely better to be with the Lord than remain here on earth with the evil, pain, and suffering in our broken world. As Paul has so wisely put before, to die is gain, but to live is Christ.
The message this morning, I believe, is that the work is much bigger than us and can never be done by us alone. We do our part. We see a need, and if God prompts us, we try our best to meet the need. Jesus said before in relation to Mary and the expensive perfume she poured out for Jesus, the poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me (John 12:8). In the same rein, the work will always be there, but what’s important at any one point is to meet that specific need as the Lord prompts. Thus, it’s never a waste for any servant of the Lord to die young. Perhaps God’s plans and purposes have already been achieved in that person’s life.
Ronnie's Thoughts 