Unstoppable! 'The Vital Thread of Grace' — Acts 9:36

Tuesday, May 23, 2023

There was a believer in Joppa named Tabitha (which in Greek is Dorcas). She was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor.

— Acts 9:36 NLT

Key Thought

Jesus was a living and breathing example of God's love for the forgotten and broken of the world. His compassion for those with broken and marred bodies, which he healed and restored, was legendary. His love for the least, the last, and the lost emphasized God's love for all people, not just the people of power and privilege. As the Good News story of Jesus permeated the world through his disciples, the Lord's compassion for the lost, broken, and forgotten continued as well. We know about that loving compassion through the ministries of the apostles. Tabitha (Dorcas) is a reminder that loving compassion also continued to live through the many lesser-known, or even unknown, disciples of Jesus. Tabitha's beautiful acts of kindness, and her love of those she served, remind us that Jesus' Spirit was alive in his disciples long after he returned to the Father. Let's keep Jesus' Spirit of loving compassion alive in our day, too!

Today's Prayer

O God, we know you are the God of compassion and faithful love. We know Jesus was a living demonstration of your love for all people. We beg, we plead, that the animosity of people toward Christians today can be overcome through our acts of genuine and loving compassion demonstrated toward the least, the last, and the lost of our time. May we be known as people who not only love each other, but also love those whom our world overlooks, shuns, and forgets. I ask this in Jesus' name and to continue his legacy. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

  • Mark 10:45; Luke 7:18-22
  • Luke 15:11-32

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Illustration

Illustration of Acts 9:36 NLT — There was a believer in Joppa named Tabitha (which in Greek is Dorcas). She was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor.

About This Devotional

Unstoppable! is a one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage, a reflection and a prayer. The reflection opens up the day's scripture and shows how it challenges one to live for Jesus.

Unstoppable! is written by Phil Ware.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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