THE UPPER ROOM 25 MARCH 2024 DEVOTIONAL, MONDAY MESSAGE
TOPIC: Using Our Gifts
TODAY’S READING
Acts of the Apostles 9:36-42
36 Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas.[a] She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. 37 At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. 38 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, “Please come to us without delay.”
39 So Peter got up and went with them, and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. 40 Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up.
41 He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. 42 This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.
In Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. – Acts 9:36 (NRSVUE)
THE UPPER ROOM 25 MARCH 2024 DEVOTIONAL MESSAGE
When my mother passed away, I inherited her sewing basket, filled to the brim with thread, needles, and every conceivable sewing accessory. I was pleased to have this keepsake, but I cannot sew a stitch! I have always admired individuals who possess sewing skills, those like Dorcas, whose story of generosity is recorded in Acts.
Dorcas was not only talented at sewing, but she unselfishly shared the garments she made with friends. In fact, Dorcas was so admired for her generosity that the apostle Peter immediately left the nearby city where he was ministering to come to Dorcas’s house when he heard that she had died. There several widows proudly showed Peter the clothing Dorcas had sewn for them. When Peter brought Dorcas back to life, Acts records that many people came to believe in the Lord.
I cannot help but believe that many came to know Jesus as Savior through the gift of Dorcas’s sewing. While I am not a seamstress, I have other gifts I can use to share the love of Christ. We all have gifts that we can use to help others to know Jesus.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Lord, help us to use our gifts to do good and to help those in need. Amen.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
God can show me how to use my gifts for good.
PRAYER FOCUS
People who sew
The Upper Room is a daily devotional magazine published in more than 30 languages and 100 countries around the world. The daily meditations are written by readers of the magazine and others interested in sharing their faith experiences through writing—both laity and clergy, published authors and new writers. The meditations are stories of real people working to live faithfully with the Bible as their touchstone. Every day, readers of The Upper Room around the world read the same story in many different languages and pray the same prayer together.
