Last week we saw that we can “Test”
God in one area, our giving. 10 “Bring the whole tithe… Test me in this,” Malachi 3:10. Tithe means giving a “tenth” of our income back to God.
Today we will look at the last part of verse 10 where it talks about the result of our giving 10%: 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 out” 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 significant in two ways.
1. The first is that the flood would be not rain but blessings! “So much blessing” (vs. 10)
2. Secondly, the phrase “there will not be room enough to store it.” (vs. 10) 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, a better marriage, spiritual satisfaction and the list would go on and on. One of our members says it this way, “When I tithe, God changes my heart. I love my husband more, I love my children more, I am more thankful and more content with what I have.”
Jesus said, “Where your heart is there your treasure will be.” (Matt. 6:21) 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 so that I not only think of myself, (which comes all too natural) but think about God, and all that He is, and all that He has done for me. I remember that I am flooded by so many good things that I don’t even deserve! 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 as I have,
Darrell
P.S. Please share as God works in your life. I would love to hear your stories of how God is working in your life!
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Sources:
Bible Exposition Commentary Old Testament
Giving and Tithing, Larry Burkett
Life Application Bible Notes
Matthew Poole’s Commentary
Upwards Church 