Open Heaven 6 March 2023

Open Heaven Topic:

DIVINE PROMOTION II

Memory Verse:

And David said unto Michal, it was before the LORD, which chose me before thy father, and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel: therefore will I play before the LORD. – 2 Samuel 6:21 (KJV)

Bible Reading: 

2 Samuel 6:20-23

20 When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”

21 David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord.

22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”

23 And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death. (NIV)

Open Heaven 6 March 2023 Message

Beyond the willingness to do the Lord’s will, another thing we notice about people who God promotes is that they are very humble.

They don’t regard themselves more highly than they ought. In today’s Bible reading, we see the same trait in Michal as was in her father, because just like Saul, she cared too much about what the people thought, whereas David’s focus was on giving praise to the Lord who made him king.

If you can be humble enough to praise God in whatever way you can in front of people, if you don’t think too highly of yourself, He will keep promoting you.

As far as God is concerned, the one who should be at the top should be able to wash the feet of his subordinates, not one who wants everyone to see and regard him as above them all.

Mark 10:44 says, “And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.”

When you are full of pride, God will resist you rather than lift you (James 4:6). If you really want to experience divine promotion, you must humble yourself before the Lord.

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. – 1 Peter 5:6

Furthermore, James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.”

One day, God showed me a vision of two graphs. The graphs look like two mountains with a valley in between them.

He asked me where I was on the graph, “Top or bottom?”. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, I replied “The bottom”, knowing that from there, He could then lift me. The Lord then said to me, “If you want to go to the top, then you have to be humble; you have to remove the titles ‘Reverend Doctor’ from your name and simply be called ‘Pastor’”.

I did that and since then, I have been enjoying divine promotion. If you would choose to be truly humble, the only way to go would be higher.

Open Heaven Hymn: 

When We Walk With The Lord

Open Heaven Point:

God promotes the humble.

Bible In One Year:

Joshua 5, Joshua 6, Joshua 7