Post by Oluwatosin Oni (@oloriireoni)

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

https://rccglive.com/open-heaven-7-july/

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