The Week in Review

Are you a Coat Maker (part 4)?
South Suburban Church of God
May 17, 2009

Interceding Coat Maker

(Not interfering)Acts 9:36-41

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.

What is interesting to me about this scripture is what Tabitha’s works did in the lives of the individual and then how that resulted in her rescue. Tabitha interceded on behalf of the widows. A widow represents a woman without any covering, no protection. The widow did not have her husband to take care of her and if Tabitha was taking care of them, they had no children to provide for them either. They were all alone. Yet, Tabitha provided them with a covering. And when this woman that had provided for others died, they quickly sought help, they turned to Peter one that had walked with Jesus. And he came and spoke life back into this woman, this coat maker, and this woman that intercedes.

What does this tell us today? There are some people that are without family. I’m not talking about physical family, but those that are on the outside of the spiritual family of God. They are uncovered and have no protection. They are in need of help. That is where you and I come in. Are we willing to make some covering and intercede on behalf of those outside the family? What happens when we are willing to give of ourselves and intercede for someone else is God often times use those same individuals that you intercede for, to intercede on your behalf. That is what God calls us all to be, interceding coat makers. Tabitha was willing to give of herself for these woman that found themselves without help. How often are we willing to intercede on behalf of others that we do not expect anything from? Oh we do things for those that we think will be able to pay us back or give us something, but what about those unable to give in return (so we think).

The beauty of this story is when Tabitha had died, the people rallied to present to Peter on her defense of why it was important for him to see about her. Did you know sometimes because you are willing to intercede on behalf of others, that when you find yourself in some situations that seem as if they will take the very “life” from you, others are petitioning on your behalf? They are saying to God, look at what she’s done for me? She’s shown me love when no one else did. He’s taken care of my needs when others turned their back on me, God see about his needs, her needs. And what does God do, he hears and answers and calls you back from that place of darkness that had you engulfed. That is why God is looking for you and I to be interceding coat makers one for the other, both for those within the family of God and those that find themselves outside of the safety, the covering of God.Today, I’ve told you about the wrong kind of coat makers and the right ones. But I cannot end without telling you this vital message. You and I cannot become the right kind of coat makers in ourselves or by our own power. How do we become the right kind of coat makers?(come back next week for the next installment)