3.042 Yes or No - Open the Windows of Heaven

In Matthew 5, Jesus calls us the salt of the earth and the light of the world, reminding us that our lives are meant to preserve, illuminate, and point others to Him. This season on "Savory Salt," we'll walk through the Old Testament, one verse and one thought each day. Perhaps these moments will add greater savor and brighter light to our lives as we seek to truly live as savory salt.

Hello, my friends, it's a new day with new opportunities. Choose ye this day whom you will serve. Wait a second, I gotta get this right.

Do we want the windows of heaven to open? We're reading this week Genesis chapters 6 through 11 as well as Moses chapter 8. And today we're going to actually do a Book of Mormon verse here that gave me pause.

I was reading inside of Genesis chapter 7 and 8 as we get the flood events happening there. We get some details from Noah. He gets instruction to load up the ark, and we get kind of a timeline inside of there.

But something stood out to me in Genesis chapter 7, and I was like, "Wait a second, where have I heard that before?" And then it took me into 3 Nephi chapter 24. And that's where we're headed for our verse for today. So, quick reference, the phrase that I was looking for... well, actually, you know what?

Let me give you 3 Nephi chapter 24, and then let's talk about the phrase. So our verse for today is 3 Nephi chapter 24, verse 10. And inside of it, it says this: "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house.

And prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." Now that's a very common verse. We use that verse when talking about tithing a lot. It's probably the verse used for tithing.

And yet, did you catch the phrase in there? I don't know if you haven't read Genesis chapter 7, maybe you didn't. But it says in here, "Bring your tithes in and prove me if I'm not going to open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it." But then when you read Genesis 7, what did the Lord do?

He opened the windows of heaven and flooded the earth! So it seems like, my friends, the windows of heaven are open to accomplish one of two things. One: brought the complete covering of the earth in water, baptism of sorts from the time of Noah, and washed and cleansed the earth of all wickedness.

So now comes the question, is this something I want in my life? Do I want the windows of heaven opened? And here's what I've landed on, and I hope you take an opportunity to reflect on this in your life as well.

If the windows of heaven have the ability to cover the earth in water, then if we go back to this verse in 3 Nephi 24, where the Lord says, "Bring your tithes in and see if I'm not going to open up the windows of heaven for you with a blessing where you will not have the room to receive it," I start to say, "Wait a second, the windows of heaven have covered this earth in water." That's a lot of water. You're telling me if I live the law of tithing, I have an opportunity to have those same windows of heaven opened to me? And now all of a sudden the phrase about this blessing being so much in the blessing that I don't have room to receive it, that all of a sudden takes a different context to me.

Because the same phrase that was used to cover the earth and water is the phrase the Lord chooses to use with a blessing for living the law of tithing. I did not expect that one to come into my life, friends. I didn't see that one coming as we're talking about the flood and Noah, but what an interesting choice of phrase that the Lord has used here in the flood side and in the blessing side of living the law of tithing.

I'd love to know what you come up with as you reflect on the windows of heaven opening in your life. That's all for today, my friends. You and I have come here for such a time as this.

Step forward in faith and let's be savory salt. We'll be here tomorrow and we hope you