Windows of Heaven

In a sermon on giving last Sunday, our pastor referred to the story of Hannah, mother of Samuel. She had prayed desperately for a son for long time. It was only when she promised God to give her son to Him, that God answered her request. God blesses us so that we can be a blessing. After Hannah sacrificially gave her son to the Lord’s service, this formerly barren woman was blessed with three more sons and two daughters (I Samuel 2:21)! You can’t out give God!

Sowing and reaping is a biblical principle. What you put into something is what you will get out of it. As the pastor pointed out, this goes for anything--time, attention, effort, money, etc. I can see this in my own life. I was blessed to be a stay-at-home mom and to be able to be there for our six children. I now am reaping the benefits of a well-raised family. Certainly not all to my credit, for their father was a strong spiritual influence, besides being a good provider and loving authority figure.

And the blessings continue! Besides our children, we have 18 grandchildren who are serving the Lord or are being brought up to serve Him. And now even a great-grandchild, whose grandparents, our oldest daughter and her husband, are covering with prayer.

God’s blessings are not strictly monetary. We are thankful for the blessings of good health, adequate provision, contentment, serenity in our home, and being able to share with others. Ours has certainly not been a trouble-free life, but God’s faithfulness has been evident throughout the various trials of raising a family.

God wants to bless His people. But, as we heard Sunday, God isn’t looking for just another donor. He is looking for someone who will humble themselves to His plans and “let go of what He says to let go of”. As Christians, we can’t ignore God’s Word. In Romans 4:12, we are encouraged to “walk in the steps of faith which our father Abraham had…” Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek, a priest and king of Salem, before the law was given to Moses many years later. So giving tithes is not just “under the law”, but before the law, during the law, and after the law. Jesus sanctioned this practice when he was telling the Pharisees to include mercy, justice and faith in their lives, while not neglecting their tithing, Matthew 23:23.

I am not pointing out myself as an example, but just giving a testimony. I have found Malachi 3:10--where God promises those who give tithes and offerings that He will “pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it”--to be true as my heart overflows at His goodness.