The Open Heavens 7 July 2026 devotional for today is HIS REFINING PROCESS
This is a daily devotion written by Pastor E. A. Adeboye, General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
OPEN HEAVENS 7 JULY 2026 TODAY DEVOTIONAL
TOPIC: HIS REFINING PROCESS
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
READ: Exodus 13:17-18
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.
RCCG 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
Open Heavens HYMN 30: WHEN WE WALK WITH THE LORD
OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL 7 JULY 2026 COMMENTARY
MEMORISE: Psalm 105:18-19
“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.”
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.
BIBLE READING: Exodus 13:17-18
This passage records God’s strategic routing of the Israelites after their exodus from Egypt.
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 | Location | What Joseph Learned |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 | His father’s house (favored son) | Dreams, vision, purpose |
| Stage 2 | The pit | Betrayal, loss, humility |
| Stage 3 | Potiphar’s house (slave) | Hard work, service, integrity under temptation |
| Stage 4 | Prison (convicted criminal) | Patience, leadership over prisoners, interpretation of dreams |
| Stage 5 | Pharaoh’s court (second in Egypt) | Ruling, saving nations, forgiving 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 Process | The Purpose |
|---|---|
| Pit (abandonment) | To kill pride and self-sufficiency |
| Slavery (subjection) | To teach service and humility |
| False accusation (injustice) | To develop trust in God’s justice |
| Prison (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 – “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 | After the Process |
|---|---|
| A boastful, favored young man | A humble, wise leader |
| Tattled on his brothers | Forgave his brothers |
| Shared dreams without wisdom | Interpreted dreams with discretion |
| Unproven character | Tested, refined, certified |
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:
| Stage | Duration | What David Learned |
|---|---|---|
| Anointed by Samuel | A single day | Divine calling |
| Serving Saul’s court | Months/years | Loyalty, service, music, warfare |
| Exile in the wilderness | Years | Patience, trust, leadership of outcasts, 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.
| David’s Wilderness Lessons | Why They Were Necessary |
|---|---|
| Do not touch the Lord’s anointed | To learn reverence for God’s timing and authority |
| Wait on the Lord | To kill impatience and self-promotion |
| Lead outcasts | To learn compassion for the broken |
| 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 (Philistine Road) | The Long Route (Wilderness) |
|---|---|
| A few days journey | Forty years |
| Immediate warfare | Graduated testing |
| Would have faced the Philistines (trained warriors) | Faced the Red Sea (God’s miracle), then manna, then water from rock, then battles one by one |
| Likely would have fled back to Egypt | Became 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.
| What They Unlearned in the Wilderness | What They Learned |
|---|---|
| Slave mentality | Sonship |
| Fear of enemies | Trust in God |
| Reliance on Egypt’s resources | Dependence on manna from heaven |
| Impatience | 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 (Shortcut) | David (Process) |
|---|---|
| Made king quickly | Anointed early, enthroned late |
| Disobeyed God | Learned to obey through suffering |
| Spared Agamemnon (partial obedience) | Refused to touch Saul (full honor) |
| Lost the kingdom | 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 | Shortcut Tin |
|---|---|
| Durable, valuable, trusted | Brittle, worthless, discarded |
| Reflects the refiner’s image | Exposes the lack of refinement |
| Can bear weight | Cracks under pressure |
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 | Duration |
|---|---|
| Birth in a manger | Day one |
| Childhood in Nazareth | Thirty years |
| Private life, growing in wisdom and stature | Three decades |
| Baptism, then testing in the wilderness | Forty days |
| Public ministry | 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:
| What the Process Removes | What the Process Produces |
|---|---|
| Pride | Humility |
| Impatience | Patience |
| Self-reliance | Dependence on God |
| Fear of man | Fear of God |
| Unforgiveness | Forgiveness |
| Impulsiveness | Wisdom |
| Worldly ambition | 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 – “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”
| The Affliction | The Glory |
|---|---|
| Light (not heavy) | Far more exceeding (overwhelming) |
| But for a moment (temporary) | Eternal (never ending) |
| Works for us (productive, purposeful) | 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 Stage | Likely Lesson |
|---|---|
| Pit of betrayal | God’s presence even when others abandon you |
| Slavery | Service as preparation for leadership |
| False accusation | God is your vindicator; do not defend yourself |
| Prison | 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 | The Outcome |
|---|---|
| Self-promotion | Humiliation |
| Compromise to get ahead | Loss of integrity |
| Taking what God has not yet given | Losing what you took |
| Impatience with the process | 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.”
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