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Opening The Windows Of Heaven
Contributed by John Miller on Jan 16, 2003 (message contributor)
Summary: God wants to give everyone blessings no matter what the circumstances are.
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OPENING THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN
Read: 2 Kings 7:1-17
Intro:
This morning I want to talk about the blessings of God that he wants to give everyone no matter what the circumstances are.
When I was growing up, we sang that chorus-“The windows of Heaven are open, the blessings are falling tonight, there’s Joy, Joy, Joy in my heart since Jesus made everything right. I gave him my old tattered garment, He gave me a robe of pure white, I’m feasting on manna from Heaven and that’s why I’m happy tonight.
There’s a lot of truth in that little chorus because the windows of Heaven are open, but many are not experiencing the blessings in their lives. So this morning, I want to give you three things you must do in order to open the windows of Heaven in your life.
In my text we find that the last part of chapter 6 should be the first part of chapter 7 for verse 24 of chapter 6 actually begins the story. Verse 24 says:
24: And it happened after this that Ben-Hadad king of Syria gathered all his army, and went up and besieged Samaria. 25: And there was a great famine in Samaria:
Jehoram was the king of Samaria & of course we are talking about the children of Israel who were its inhabitants.
Apparently King Ben-Hadad had decided to starve them out rather then attack there and he was being successful for the scripture goes on to say that a donkey’s head sold for 2 pounds of silver and a half pint of dove manure for 2 ounces of silver. Things were really bad. Not only that were also eating their own children.
The king became so disturbed about what was happing in the city that he threatened to kill Elisha who was the prophet there. He felt like it was God’s fault they were in this predicament and killing the prophet would help. So he sends a messenger to cut off his head then changes his mind and follows the messenger to Elisha’s house and confronts him there and says this famine is from the Lord. He’s right about that. It was because of their sin and then he says why should I wait any longer the Lord to help us and this is where we pick up my text for Elisha says:
Listen to the word of the Lord. This time tomorrow 24 cups of the best flour will sell for half an ounce of silver in the gateway to Samaria and 48 cups of Barley for half an ounce of silver.
Which brings me to my first point on opening the windows of Heaven in your life and that is:
POINT #1
BELIEVE THE WORD. This is quite a word Elisha had to say and there was no reason for anyone to believe given the circumstances that were surrounding them. As a matter of fact verse #2 says that the Kings servant or his right hand man – probably his most trusted servant because the King was leaning on him, said to Elisha – Behold, if the Lord would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? Or are you kidding? How could this possibly happen. Well we know it did happen when they were in the wilderness when God rained down manna from Heaven.
Elisha’s reply was it will happen and you will see it with your own eyes. But you will not eat of it.
This is such an important step. We know that the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword and we know that the word of God is true for it is backed up by God Himself and we know that every promise in this book will come to pass if we will just believe what it says.
But today we are too prone to look at circumstances. If the doctor or the lawyer or the banker says this is how it is, then we believe that’s how it is.
What ever happened to believing for a miracle? Is that in the distant past? Do we think God can’t do that anymore, or do we believe he just does that for other people?
If you don’t believe the word then you have no basis to believe for a miracle. What’s happening today is many people believe it with their head, but not with their heart.
Nothing is impossible with God. I said, “nothing is impossible with God.” I don’t care how good or how bad things look, God is still on the throne and he can do anything if you will just believe.
If you don’t really believe then that means you have unbelief and that will stop God from working in your life. That will keep the windows of Heaven closed for you.