DORCAS

The featured lady that I want to talk about is the lovely and caring Dorcas. Dorcas lived in the city of Joppa around the Mediterranean coast. "Being a seacoast city, Joppa saw numerous husbands and fathers depart into dangers of perilous waters. Many men never returned from the sea, and they left behind bereaved and destitute widows and orphans." (woman's study Bible) It is very likely that Dorcas came into contact with these certain women and children. In Acts 9:36 it says that "This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did." And because of these good works, many people were very well acquainted with Dorcas, and knew what an honorable woman she was. But around the time that the disciples and Peter were in the region, Dorcas died. Dorcas' "grieving friends prepared her body for burial, then sent two men to the nearby city of Lydda to fetch the apostle Peter." When Peter came to the house that Dorcas' body was being prepared, her loved ones cried to Peter and showed him the tunics and garments that Dorcas made them while she was still living. Peter then ordered everyone to leave the room and then raised Dorcas from the dead. "Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints and widows he presented her alive"(Acts 9:41). So what can we learn from Ms. Dorcas? Well, I think that one very important lesson we can learn from her is the importance of doing good works. Having faith in the Lord God is very important. But doing good works for the Lord is another way of showing God our love and devotion for him. In James 1:22 it says "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only." I recently helped out with Florence Blvd. Church of Christ's vacation bible school. And one of the many classic song we sung was "This little light of mine." And a small part of that song says, "This little, light of mine I'm going to let it shine, let it shine all the time, let it shine." As Christians, we should not only let our light shine through our faith, attitudes, prayer, and thanksgiving, but also by our actions and good works towards others. In. James 1: 27 it says "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit the orphans and widows in their trouble and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." Ms. Dorcas obviously did just that. Her charitable, selfless deeds not only helped those who were in need, but more importantly glorified God to the highest. In Proverbs 31:20 describes a virtuous woman as "stretching out her hand to the poor and reachers out her hand to the needy." All in all we can shine our Christian "lights" out to the world by our charitable deeds and good works. Let your light shine.



http://youtu.be/CVeB7ACVgO0



-Linzee-