Let’s look at Malachi 3:10 once more. There is something
here I want to emphasize. “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse,
that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me
now herewith, saith the Lord….” God has said in many places
through the Bible, “Have faith…believe Me,” but here in
Malachi He is saying, “Prove Me…put Me to the test!” Many
Christians are looking for a sign from God as proof of His
power, of His willingness to heal and do miracles in today’s
world. The financial realm is the only place where God gives us
an opportunity to look for this sign, and it is the only place we
haven’t been looking! We say, “But I couldn’t tell God what to
do; I couldn’t expect Him to bless me! It wouldn’t be humble!”
But what does God say? “And prove me now herewith, saith the
Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and
pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to
receive it.”

As I was studying this one day, the phrase windows of heaven
kept coming into my thinking, so I did some research. The
phrase windows of heaven actually means “floodgates.” It is the
same word used in Genesis 7:11 where God opened the windows
of heaven and flooded the earth. God doesn’t use empty
figures of speech. He means what He says! He will open the
floodgates of heaven and pour out an abundant blessing on the
tither. Then the next verse (Malachi 3:11) says:

“And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall
not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast
her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. And all
nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delightsome land,
saith the Lord of hosts.”

Now let’s discuss how to receive from your giving.
Ephesians 6:8 says, “Knowing that whatsoever good thing any
man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be
bond or free.” Whatever good thing you do to any man, you will
receive the same thing from the Lord. We have just read in
Malachi where God said that He would open the windows of
heaven to us. Therefore, we can expect to receive from God.
However, in Luke’s gospel Jesus says, “Give, and it shall be given
unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and
running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same
measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again”
(Luke 6:38). From this, we see that we also can receive from
men; so the blessing is twofold. When you tithe, you receive
from God above. When you give, men give into your bosom.
You have it coming from all directions!

Kenneth Copeland Ministries