Last week we looked at, 10 “Bring the whole tithe… Test me in this,” As we saw last week, although it is wrong to test God with complaining, rebellion, and unbelief (Exod 17:2-7; Num 14:22; Deut 6:14-18; Pss 78:17-19,40-42,56-58; 95:8-9; 106:6-29), it is not wrong to test him with obedience, especially giving.
Today we will look at the last part of verse 10 where it talks about the result: God opening the floodgates of heaven. God’s response to the people’s faithful obedience would be the opening of “the floodgates of heaven” and his “pouring” on them an abundance of blessing.
The phrase “floodgates of heaven” also occurs in Gen 7:11; 8:2 as the source of the rain that flooded the earth.
The promise to open the “floodgates of heaven” in response to our obedience is amplified in two ways. The first amplification is that the flood would be not rain but blessings!
Secondly, the phrase “until there is no longer sufficient room for it” means that God will pour out beyond human need. God is able to give more than we can handle. A flood is too much water. A flood of blessings would be that we have more than we need. Excess of what we actually need. I have found this to be true in my own life. God gives me so much! I am flooded with his blessings.
I want us to understand clearly that God’s blessings are not only money, but peace of mind, health, joy, and the list would go on and on. Gina Palmer one of our members says it this way, “When I tithe, God changes my heart. I love my husband more, I love my daughter more, I am more thankful and more content of what I have.”
Jesus said, “Where your heart is there your treasure will be.” When we take the time to make our treasure God, by obeying and giving back to him, our hearts change! I know that by giving I actually realize how much I have, and how much God has given me. The spiritual blessings, the emotional blessings, the relational blessings and the physical blessings are too many to count.
Giving changes my heart to where I not only think of myself, (which comes all too natural) to thinking about God, and all that He his, and all that He has done and that I am flooded by so many good things not because I deserve them. Oh no! It’s because God is faithful, He is amazing, and His word is true. I pray you will know all the ways God has blessed you in these three months.
May you know the floodgates of God’s blessing,
Darrell
Sources:
Bible Exposition Commentary Old Testament
Life Application Bible Notes
Matthew Poole’s Commentary
Giving may also be done online at www.ridgefellowship.com
Upwards Church 
At the mens group last night, I was led to a realization by the other men in the group. I wanted to post it here so others may see that real results happen just as it is written.
My wife signed us up for the tithe challenge. My wife has been out of the workplace for over 6 years so we are a single income family of 5. I was willing but skeptical that we would be able to live on significantly less than what we already do as we start to tithe. She has wanted to go back to work for years, but has been unable to find a job. Three days(thats right, just 3 short days) after signing up for the tithe challenge, she got a job and started the very next day! It is funny how quite often it takes others to point out to us that God is working in our lives. The floodgates have already opened without me realizing it.
That is awesome! God is faithful. Thanks for stepping out in faith Mike and for sharing this encouraging story for others.