When, as a Christian, you listen to the voice of God to your own life, it opens the way for God to reveal Himself to you fully. That is what an open heaven is. It is living with no interference that could cause God’s silence or delay in doing mighty things in and through your life. My brother, my sister, looking into your life, could you say whether you are walking under a closed or open heaven today? To help you determine things, let’s look at Eli who was the reigning priest at the time Samuel was born… Despite his position, Eli was walking under closed heaven. How do we know it? First, he was unable to discern that Hannah (Samuel’s mother) was praying but thought she was drunk when she was desperately seeking God for a child (1 Samuel 1:9-13); secondly, he could not immediately discern that it was God calling Samuel. Why? Just because Eli was not sensitive to the voice of God. His heaven was closed when he showed himself unable to educate his own children to respect God and the work of God! And the sad thing about this is that, the whole nation was under closed heaven. Yet, the same Eli is the one God chose to prepare Samuel into the work of the ministry! God’s ways are not our ways… And when time came, God revealed Himself to Samuel, when it was time for Him to open the heaven again over the people of Israel. Another example is that of Uzziah, who got close to Zechariah, a man who lived under an open heaven, because “he had understanding in the visions of God” (2 Chronicles 26:3-5)… And the Bible says, as long as Uzziah “sought the Lord, God made him prosper” (2 Chronicles 26:5). This means Uzziah’s heaven was open then. Now, the Bible adds further down that “But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction” (2 Chronicles 26:16). In other words, pride closed Uzziah’s heaven! Now, the most known verse on tithing is the one that is also mostly preached on to teach people about opening heaving. Yet, this passage is always reduced to Malachi 3:10, while it should be read from Malachi 3:7 that clearly talks about repentance: “Yet from the days of your fathers, You have gone away from My ordinances, And, have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you”. My friend, God does not want your tithe or offering without you returning to Him first in your heart… otherwise, why can’t the church of Christ take the tithe of a God-fearing muslim too? That is the reason why many people give tithes and offerings, but still don’t see the promised windows of heaven open in their lives in a way for them to have blessings that they cannot store (Malachi 3:10). The last and most important thing to remember overall is that, just like He redeemed us once and for all, Jesus also brought about an open heaven for those who believe in Him, for the Bible says: “As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on Him. And a voice from heaven said, This is My Son, whom I love, with Him I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:16-17). What does it mean for us Christians? That as long as we listen to the voice of Jesus, we would never know a closed heaven again. The best example of that is Saul’s conversion: the moment Saul recognized the voice of Jesus, He abandoned Himself to the Lord and his entire life, including his name changed as he yielded himself to the will of God. So, what about you? My friend, you have accepted Jesus, are you walking under a closed or an open heaven? Don’t allow the enemy (or your own doubts) to rob you any longer. Listen to what the Lord says you have to do or change in your life and “Whatever He tells you to do, do it!” It is obedience to the Lord that opens your heaven! (John 2:5). Stay blessed in Jesus’ name. [facebook] [retweet]