Post by Oluwatosin Oni (@oloriireoni)

OPEN HEAVENS DEVOTIONAL 2 JULY 2026 COMMENTARY
MEMORISE: Luke 1:53
“He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away.”

This verse reveals a kingdom principle that operates opposite to the world’s logic. Daddy Adeboye anchors today’s devotional on this text because it establishes that spiritual fullness is not for those who think they have already arrived, but for those who remain hungry.

BIBLE READING: Philippians 3:5-14
In this passage, the apostle Paul lists his impressive religious credentials then he makes a shocking statement: “But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord… and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” He then declares that he has not yet attained or been perfected, but he forgets what is behind and reaches forward to what is ahead, pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Daddy Adeboye uses this to show that even the most accomplished apostle remained hungry, teachable, and forward-looking.

Paul: The Accomplished Apostle Who Never Arrived
1. His Impressive Credentials
“In today’s Bible reading, Paul recounted some of his great achievements. He stated that he was of the stock of Israel, a descendant of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, circumcised on the eighth day, and a Pharisee.”

Consider Paul’s résumé:

Credential Significance
Circumcised on the eighth day Kept the law perfectly from birth
Of the stock of Israel Pure Jewish bloodline
Tribe of Benjamin Prestigious tribe (Israel’s first king came from Benjamin)
Hebrew of Hebrews Strictest adherence to Hebrew culture and language
Pharisee The most rigorous religious sect
Zealous persecutor of the church Extremely committed to his beliefs
“For comparison, we can say that he attended the best university and studied under the most distinguished professor there. He had everything to boast of in terms of knowledge.”

Acts 22:3 – Paul studied under Gamaliel, a renowned teacher of the law, highly respected by all the people. Paul was not an amateur; he was a scholar, a lawyer, a leader among his peers.

2. His Radical Revaluation
“After listing his achievements and attributes, he went on to say that he counted them all as loss and dung for Christ.”

Paul’s Former Gains His New Valuation
Religious credentials Loss (worthless, a liability)
Righteousness by the law Dung (refuse, garbage, excrement)
Past achievements Things to be forgotten
Human pride Counted as nothing
“However, when he gave his life to Jesus, he laid all his accomplishments at the Master’s feet and allowed the Lord to use them for the advancement of His Kingdom. He humbled himself and submitted to Ananias, a disciple of Christ in Damascus and went on missionary trips with Barnabas, a Levite. Paul didn’t allow his past achievements to stop him from pursuing the Lord wholeheartedly.”

This is remarkable. Paul:

Had more theological training than Ananias (a simple disciple)
Had more social status than Barnabas (a Levite)
Could have demanded leadership based on his credentials
But he submitted. He learned. He served. He did not let his past achievements become a prison.

The Secret of Paul’s Success: Never Arriving
“The secret to Paul’s achievements in his walk with God can be found in Philippians 3:13: ‘Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.’”

What Paul Did NOT Say What Paul DID Say
“I have arrived” “I count not myself to have apprehended”
“I know it all” “Forgetting those things which are behind”
“I can rest on my past” “Reaching forth unto those things which are before”
“I have reached the peak” “I press toward the mark”
“Paul was always ready to learn more. He never allowed what he had learnt previously to rob him of the things that God wanted to show and teach him. This must be your disposition if you want to walk closely with God and achieve great things in His kingdom.”

The Disposition That Stops Growth The Disposition That Continues Growth
“I already know that” “Show me more”
“I have done that” “What is next?”
“I have arrived” “I am still pressing”
“My past achievements speak for themselves” “I forget what is behind”
The Danger of the “Arrival Mentality”
“One of the greatest enemies of growth is an ‘arrival mentality.’ The moment people think that they have ‘arrived’ (gotten to the peak of success), they stop growing immediately.”

The Arrival Mentality The Result
“I have learned enough” No more learning
“I have experienced enough” No more seeking
“I have achieved enough” No more striving
“I have arrived” Growth stops; decline begins
“Lamentations 3:23 says that God’s mercies are new every morning. If you keep holding on to yesterday’s mercies, how will you be able to receive today’s portion?”....
https://rccglive.com/open-heaven-2-july

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