Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord  of hosts, if I will not open the windows of Heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. Malachi 3:10 ESV

It’s likely that you are familiar with our opening Scripture. Having been around church since before my birth, I’ve heard the challenge declared many times. God is committed to blessing those who give.

Recently I listened to an audio book about business growth. The author cited this verse as one example of what God will do if we honor Him in our business endeavors as well as our personal life. Then he went on to ask the question, “What are the windows of Heaven and how does God pour out blessing through them?” Hmmm. Good question.

Before we get to that let me share with you a few facts about windows. A window is a transparent opening in a wall or door that allows light to pass through, and, if not closed or sealed, air and sound also. The transparency of windows allows us to see what is inside or outside depending on our perspective. Windows are held in place by frames, which prevent them from collapsing in. Windows have the ability to give and receive simultaneously.

Reflecting on the question about the “windows of Heaven,” I wondered if the answer was not so much “what” but “who.” Who are the windows of Heaven? Who are the channels of blessing that God wishes to pour out blessing through?

No matter what we do, all of us  have a unique opportunity each week to be a “window of Heaven.” As we give ourselves to our purpose, place, position, responsibility or calling and stay transparent before our Lord, He is able to pour out through us blessing: the sound of Heaven, the breath of His Spirit, the Light of Life.

When we transparently worship God in the way we live our life each day, the people in our circle of influence have an opportunity to look into Who our Father is and recognize more of His life, light and compassion. As our hearts unite and become one with the Father’s in our daily life, people around us more readily see the love for which we all crave but often are blind to.

In the Jewish tradition, all of life was holy so all of life was worship.  As we choose to live our lives each day as an act of worship, personally and professionally, God frames our lives with His Word, grace, mercy, peace and joy. He gives the strength to carry on when it seems life is overwhelming on every front. As we look for ways to serve those around us each week, God creates an opportunity to pour out a blessing through us, one that there is not room enough to receive. What happens when there is not “room enough”? Overflow.

As blessing overflows from our lives, we then have an opportunity to become a “window of Heaven” to the world around us and God’s blessing touches everyone we touch. What started as a simple act of worship has become a stream of blessing that reaches far beyond the vessel it originally flowed through.

A cycle of blessing begins as “the windows of Heaven” come with a grateful mindset, giving grateful praise and thanksgiving to God. God then responds with more blessing through us to all those we influence on earth. So we, as windows, are involved in both the giving and the receiving.

Each week I ask the Lord if there is anything that needs to be cleaned off the window of my heart, especially before helping to influence His people in the ways He has called me to. I want to be transparent so He can pour out blessings through me. Transparency is the characteristic of allowing light to pass through with little or no interruption or distortion so that what is on the other side can be clearly seen. Can others clearly see Christ in and through you?

So, keep your bottle of spiritual Windex handy – regularly acknowledge sin and repent of it – so that the light can flow through you. You’ll be blessed as God uses you as a window of Heaven to bless others.

Father, we pray that all of our lives may be “windows of Heaven” for You to pour blessing through so that others may know Your love, grace and peace. Amen.

~David Wright