OPEN HEAVENS 7 JULY 2026 TODAY DEVOTIONAL TOPIC: HIS REFINING PROCESS

OPEN HEAVENS 7 JULY 2026 TODAY DEVOTIONAL & COMMENTARY

TOPIC: HIS REFINING PROCESS

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MEMORISE:

Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron: Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.
— Psalm 105:18-19 (KJV)

READ: Exodus 13:17-18 (KJV)

17 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt:
18 But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.

OPEN HEAVENS 7 JULY 2026 TODAY MESSAGE

In His wisdom, God often takes His children through different paths on their journey to greatness. He uses each step to refine their character and to separate them from anything that could hinder or destroy them after attaining greatness. For example, before Joseph became great, God took him through a pit, Potiphar’s house, and prison, so as to build his character in preparation for the role of a ruler in Egypt. Today’s memory verse says that he was laid in irons until God’s word came. God’s word tried him as gold is tried in fire until he was certified fit for greatness. David also had to go through God’s process on his way to becoming a king. His path to becoming a king was marked by numerous challenges, including a period of exile in the wilderness.

The path to greatness is often paved with many challenges. The process of attaining true greatness is never easy, but it is always worth it. Apostle Paul described the process as ‘our light affliction’ in 2 Corinthians 4:17. However, no matter how tough the process gets, it is nothing compared to the far exceeding and eternal weight of glory that God has prepared for us.

People who want to become great without going through God’s process do not usually last if they eventually become great. Like King Saul, they often end up losing their place because of habits and weaknesses that should have been addressed.

Those who choose to follow God’s process, however, always emerge purified like precious gold. They become men and women whom God can trust with great resources and other people. Even our Lord Jesus Christ followed God’s process, and when the time came for Him to fulfil God’s assignment, He was baptised, and God’s Spirit came upon Him (Matthew 3:16-17). He didn’t start performing miracles the moment He was born, because God never raises a fellow without first ‘trying’ and preparing him or her.

As we see in today’s Bible reading, God guided the Israelites through His process by making them take a longer route on their journey to the Promised Land. He didn’t want them to run back to Egypt at the first hint of war; He wanted to help them become a strong and resilient nation. Beloved, is God currently taking you through a refining process that you find difficult? I implore you to endure the process, as it is part of His plan in preparing you for true and lasting greatness.

PRAYER POINT:
Lord, please help me to go through Your refining process successfully.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Proverbs 24-26

HYMN 30: WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD

Verse 1:
When we walk with the Lord
In the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will,
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Chorus:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Verse 2:
Not a shadow can rise,
Not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt nor a fear,
Not a sigh nor a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

(Chorus)

Verse 3:
Not a burden we bear,
Not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief nor a loss,
Not a frown nor a cross,
But is blest if we trust and obey.

(Chorus)

Verse 4:
But we never can prove
The delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows,
And the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

(Chorus)

Verse 5:
Then in fellowship sweet
We will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
What He says we will do,
Where He sends we will go,
Never fear, only trust and obey.

(Chorus)

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL 7 JULY 2026 COMMENTARY

MEMORISE: Psalm 105:18-19
This verse captures the essence of divine preparation. Daddy Adeboye anchors today’s devotional on this text because it reveals that the painful seasons of life are not random misfortunes—they are the “iron” that shapes and tests the one destined for greatness. “Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron”—the literal chains on Joseph’s feet symbolize the constraints, delays, and pressures of the process. “Until the time that his word came”—there is an appointed time when the promise breaks through. “The word of the LORD tried him”—the very promise God gave was tested through the process. The dream was not cancelled; it was refined. The iron was not punishment; it was preparation.

BIBLE READING: Exodus 13:17-18
This passage records God’s strategic routing of the Israelites after their exodus from Egypt. God did not lead them by the shortest route—the way of the land of the Philistines. Even though it was near, God said, “Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt.” Instead, God led them the long way, through the wilderness of the Red Sea. This was not punishment; it was protection and preparation. They were not ready for war; they needed to become a nation of warriors. The long route was the refining process.

Joseph: The Iron That Prepared a Throne

1. The Journey Through Suffering
“In His wisdom, God often takes His children through different paths on their journey to greatness. He uses each step to refine their character and to separate them from anything that could hinder or destroy them after attaining greatness.”

Consider Joseph’s path. Stage 1 was his father’s house where he was the favored son. There he received dreams, vision, and purpose. Stage 2 was the pit where he experienced betrayal, loss, and humility. Stage 3 was Potiphar’s house where he was a slave. There he learned hard work, service, and integrity under temptation. Stage 4 was prison where he was a convicted criminal. There he developed patience, leadership over prisoners, and the ability to interpret dreams. Stage 5 was Pharaoh’s court where he became second in all of Egypt. There he learned ruling, saving nations, and forgiving his brothers.

“Before Joseph became great, God took him through a pit, Potiphar’s house, and prison, so as to build his character in preparation for the role of a ruler in Egypt.”

The pit was for abandonment—to kill pride and self-sufficiency. Slavery was for subjection—to teach service and humility. False accusation was for injustice—to develop trust in God’s justice. Prison was for confinement—to develop patience and leadership in obscurity. “God’s word tried him as gold is tried in fire until he was certified fit for greatness.” Psalm 105:19 says, “The word of the LORD tried him.” The promise (the dream) was tested. Joseph had dreamed of greatness—sheaves bowing, stars bowing. But between the dream and its fulfillment came the iron. The word tried him. Would he still believe when he was in the pit? Would he still trust when he was in prison? The testing certified that he was ready.

2. The Result: A Man Fit for the Throne
Before the process, Joseph was a boastful, favored young man who tattled on his brothers and shared dreams without wisdom. He had unproven character. After the process, he was a humble, wise leader who forgave his brothers, interpreted dreams with discretion, and demonstrated tested, refined, and certified character. When Joseph stood before Pharaoh, he was not the same boy who had been sold into slavery. The iron had done its work. He was ready.

David: The Wilderness on the Way to the Throne
“David also had to go through God’s process on his way to becoming a king. His path to becoming a king was marked by numerous challenges, including a period of exile in the wilderness.”

Consider David’s path. He was anointed by Samuel in a single day, receiving his divine calling. He then served in Saul’s court for months or years, learning loyalty, service, music, and warfare. Then came exile in the wilderness for many years, where he learned patience, trust, leadership of outcasts, and refusing to touch God’s anointed. David was anointed king as a young man. But he did not sit on the throne until many years later. Between the anointing and the coronation came the wilderness. Cave dwelling. Running for his life. Gathering a ragtag army of the discontented. Learning to lead, to wait, to trust, and to honor Saul even when Saul was trying to kill him.

The wilderness taught David not to touch the Lord’s anointed—to learn reverence for God’s timing and authority. It taught him to wait on the Lord—to kill impatience and self-promotion. It taught him to lead outcasts—to learn compassion for the broken. It taught him to trust God for daily provision—to kill reliance on human resources. Without the wilderness, David would have been a disaster as king. The wilderness made him a man after God’s own heart.

The Israelites: The Long Route to the Promised Land
“As we see in today’s Bible reading, God guided the Israelites through His process by making them take a longer route on their journey to the Promised Land. He didn’t want them to run back to Egypt at the first hint of war; He wanted to help them become a strong and resilient nation.”

The short route (the Philistine road) would have taken only a few days but would have involved immediate warfare. The long route (the wilderness) took forty years but involved graduated testing. The short route would have likely caused them to flee back to Egypt. The long route made them a strong, resilient nation. “Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt.” God knew His people. They had slave mentality. They had no military training. They had no experience trusting God for victory. If they had faced war immediately, they would have run back to Egypt. The long route was not punishment; it was preparation. Forty years to unlearn Egypt and learn dependence on God. They unlearned slave mentality and learned sonship. They unlearned fear of enemies and learned trust in God. They unlearned reliance on Egypt’s resources and learned dependence on manna from heaven. They unlearned impatience and learned waiting on the Lord.

Why God’s Process Is Necessary

1. The Process Prepares You for the Weight of Greatness
“People who want to become great without going through God’s process do not usually last if they eventually become great. Like King Saul, they often end up losing their place because of habits and weaknesses that should have been addressed.”

Saul was made king quickly but he disobeyed God, spared Agag, offered sacrifices himself, and consulted a medium. He lost the kingdom. David was anointed early but enthroned late. He learned to obey through suffering, refused to touch Saul, and established an everlasting dynasty. Saul had the position but not the character. He looked like a king, but inside he was still insecure, impulsive, and disobedient. When pressure came, he collapsed. David had been forged in the wilderness. When pressure came, he sought the Lord. “Those who choose to follow God’s process, however, always emerge purified like precious gold. They become men and women whom God can trust with great resources and other people.” Processed gold is durable, valuable, and trusted. Shortcut tin is brittle, worthless, and discarded.

2. Even Jesus Followed the Process
“Even our Lord Jesus Christ followed God’s process, and when the time came for Him to fulfil God’s assignment, He was baptised, and God’s Spirit came upon Him (Matthew 3:16-17). He didn’t start performing miracles the moment He was born, because God never raises a fellow without first ‘trying’ and preparing him or her.”

Jesus’ process included birth in a manger on day one, childhood in Nazareth for thirty years, private life growing in wisdom and stature for three decades, baptism and testing in the wilderness for forty days, and then public ministry for three years. The Son of God did not bypass the process. He did not begin His public ministry as an infant. He waited. He prepared. He was tested. If Jesus submitted to the Father’s process, how much more should you?

What the Process Produces
Based on Daddy Adeboye’s teaching and Scripture, here is what God’s refining process accomplishes. The process removes pride and produces humility. It removes impatience and produces patience. It removes self-reliance and produces dependence on God. It removes fear of man and produces fear of God. It removes unforgiveness and produces forgiveness. It removes impulsiveness and produces wisdom. It removes worldly ambition and produces kingdom purpose.

“Apostle Paul described the process as ‘our light affliction’ in 2 Corinthians 4:17. However, no matter how tough the process gets, it is nothing compared to the far exceeding and eternal weight of glory that God has prepared for us.” 2 Corinthians 4:17 says, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” The affliction is light (not heavy) but the glory is far more exceeding (overwhelming). The affliction is but for a moment (temporary) but the glory is eternal (never ending). The affliction works for us (productive, purposeful) producing a weight of glory (massive, substantial). Your present suffering is not meaningless. It is working. It is producing. It is preparing you for a glory so great that the affliction will seem light and momentary by comparison.

How to Endure God’s Process (Practical Steps)
Based on Daddy Adeboye’s teaching, here is how to persevere through the refining process:

1. Recognize That the Process Is Not Punishment
God is not angry with you. He is not punishing you. He is preparing you. Joseph was not in prison because God was against him; he was in prison because God was for him. The process is proof of purpose.

2. Embrace the Iron While You Are in It
Do not fight the process. Do not try to escape through shortcuts, compromises, or self-promotion. Joseph did not try to break out of prison. David did not kill Saul to seize the throne. They endured the iron. So must you.

3. Learn What the Process Is Teaching You
Each stage has a lesson. Ask God: What am I supposed to learn in this pit? In this prison? In this wilderness? Do not waste your suffering by refusing to learn. The pit of betrayal teaches God’s presence even when others abandon you. Slavery teaches that service is preparation for leadership. False accusation teaches that God is your vindicator; do not defend yourself. Prison teaches patience, trust, and leadership in obscurity.

4. Trust the “Until the Time That His Word Came”
There is an “until” in your process. Until the word of the Lord tries you. Until the iron has done its work. Until you are certified fit for greatness. That time will come. Do not abandon the process before the “until” is fulfilled.

5. Keep Your Eyes on the Glory, Not the Affliction
Paul called it “light affliction” compared to the weight of glory. You may not feel it is light. But from eternity’s perspective, it is. Keep looking ahead. The glory is coming.

Warning: The Shortcut Leads to Shame
Daddy Adeboye’s devotional carries a sobering warning: do not take the shortcut. Do not bypass God’s process. The shortcut of self-promotion leads to humiliation. Compromise to get ahead leads to loss of integrity. Taking what God has not yet given leads to losing what you took. Impatience with the process leads to extended time in the process. Saul took the shortcut (offered sacrifices himself, spared Agag, consulted a medium). He lost the kingdom. Do not be like Saul. Be like Joseph. Be like David. Endure the iron. Trust the process.

Conclusion: Your Prayer for Endurance Through the Process
Daddy Adeboye closes with an imploration: if God is taking you through a refining process you find difficult, endure it. It is part of His plan for true and lasting greatness.

Pray this:
“Lord Jesus, I thank You that the iron on my feet is not punishment—it is preparation. Forgive me for the times I have complained against Your process, tried to take shortcuts, or doubted Your love because of the difficulty. Today, I embrace the pit, the prison, the wilderness. I will not run back to Egypt at the first hint of war. I trust that You are refining me like gold, certifying me for the greatness You have planned. Help me to learn what each stage is teaching me. Give me Joseph’s patience, David’s trust, and Jesus’ submission to the Father’s timing. I will not despise the long route, for I know that the short route would destroy me. Let the word of the LORD try me until the time that Your word comes. And when the process is complete, let me emerge purified, trusted, and ready for the weight of glory. In Jesus’ mighty name.”

Action Steps:

1. The Process Audit: Identify one area where you feel stuck in a “long route”—a delay, a difficulty, a wilderness. Ask God: What are You trying to teach me in this season? Write down the answer. Commit to learning the lesson.

2. The Shortcut Rejection: Is there any shortcut you have been tempted to take (compromise, self-promotion, dishonesty) to get out of your current difficulty? Write it down. Renounce it. Commit to God’s timing.

3. The Glory Focus: Find 2 Corinthians 4:17. Write it on an index card. Place it where you will see it daily. Every time you feel the weight of affliction, read it aloud: “This light affliction is working for me a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”