Sunday Sermon – November 2, 2025
Month of THE PRESENCE OF GOD
First Sunday of November
Scripture: “The LORD replied, ‘My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.'” Exodus 33:14
Introduction
Welcome to this new month, where we celebrate God’s presence. Moses did not know what to do next. He needed help. God’s answer was simple: “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” God did not give Moses more things or better plans. He gave Moses Himself. This month, we learn that God’s presence is the best gift we can have. When everything falls apart, when bad things happen, when we feel sad, God’s presence keeps us strong. Today, we learn how God’s presence helps us when life is hard and turns our dark times into chances to trust Him more.
1) Hope Found in God’s Presence Through Suffering
Lamentations 3:21-23 – “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Lamentations 2:19 – “Arise, cry out in the night, as the watches of the night begin; pour out your heart like water in the presence of the Lord.”
The book of Lamentations shows us Jeremiah’s honest feelings during Jerusalem’s worst time. The city was broken. The temple was destroyed. People were suffering in terrible ways. Jeremiah did not hide his pain with nice religious words. He told God how he really felt: his eyes were tired from crying, his heart hurt badly, his soul felt broken. He felt alone, laughed at, and without peace. His prayers seemed to go nowhere. Darkness was all around him.
But then something amazing happened. Jeremiah made a choice. He decided to remember the truth that changed everything: “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Here is the important part—he did not wait until he felt better to look for God. He poured out his heart like water before God in the middle of the night.
God’s presence does not take away all suffering. But it changes how we go through suffering. When we bring our broken hearts to God, we learn that His mercies are truly new every morning. Each new day brings fresh grace, new compassion, and hope again. The prophet learned that the Lord is his portion—not comfort, not answers, but God Himself.
This truth also changes our relationships. When we understand how much God has forgiven us and shown us mercy even when we failed, we can forgive others who hurt us. God’s presence teaches us mercy. The prophet’s words about offering the cheek to those who strike point to Jesus. Jesus really let people hit His face and carried our shame on the cross. Through Christ’s blood, we can be cleaned, made new, and refreshed in God’s presence every day.
2) Returning to God’s Presence in Times of Disaster
Joel 2:12-13 – “‘Even now,’ declares the LORD, ‘return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.'”
Joel 2:1 – “Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand.”
Joel faced a different kind of disaster—locusts destroyed everything. Vineyards were ruined, fruit trees were stripped bare, crops died, and animals had nothing to eat. This unstoppable natural disaster felt like judgment day. When bad things happen—sickness, death, money problems, or natural disasters—we start to question God. We ask: Where is God? Does He care? Can I trust Him?
Joel’s message is clear: disaster does not mean God is gone. Instead, it is an invitation to come back to God with real repentance. God does not want fake apologies or just religious actions on the outside. He says: “Return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments.” The problem is not about changing clothes. It is about changing our lives.
Why should we come back? Because God is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and full of love. He is the most patient God, generous with mercy. Even when things look like judgment, His presence gives hope. The trumpet that announced disaster can become the trumpet of victory. Joel’s picture of judgment finds its answer in Christ’s resurrection. Paul says that at the last trumpet, death itself will be defeated through Jesus Christ.
Here is the life-changing truth: when we turn back to God’s presence, we learn He never really left. His presence changes judgment into mercy, disaster into a chance for new beginnings, and fear into faith. The question is not whether God is there in our disasters. The question is whether we will turn toward His presence when bad things happen. His presence does not promise to remove every problem. But it promises we will never face problems alone.
This Week’s Declaration: This week, I say that God’s presence goes before me, behind me, and all around me. His mercies are new for me every morning. I receive fresh grace for today’s problems. I will not be destroyed by my circumstances because His great love holds me up. When I feel alone, I say that His presence is closer than my breath. When disasters come, I say that His presence turns them into chances for stronger faith. I am not alone, not forgotten, not left behind. God’s faithfulness is mine, and His presence is my resting place. Victory is mine through Jesus Christ.
This Week’s Reflection: Set aside time each morning this week to thank God for His new mercies. Before you check your phone or start your busy day, stop and pour out your heart to Him. Notice where you are carrying yesterday’s problems instead of receiving today’s grace. Think about specific times God’s presence helped you through hard times before. Think about how receiving His forgiveness helps you show mercy to others who hurt you. Write in a journal about areas where you felt far from God. Then choose to turn toward His presence in those exact places. Let this week become your personal story of finding Him again.
Self-Examination: Am I really pouring out my heart honestly to God, or am I hiding some things? Do I wait until I feel spiritual before looking for God, or do I come broken and desperate? Have I let unanswered prayers make me think God is not listening? Am I receiving His new mercies each morning, or am I holding on to old guilt and shame? When disaster happens, do I blame God or run to Him? Is my repentance real—changing my heart—or just religious actions on the outside? Do I show others the same mercy that God shows me? Am I choosing to remember His faithfulness when circumstances say something different?
Conclusion: As we start this Month of the Presence of God, remember that God’s presence is not earned by being perfect or having good circumstances. Jeremiah found Him in terrible loss. Joel met Him through a huge disaster. Moses received His promise when everything was uncertain. God’s presence is His gift to us, made possible through Jesus Christ. Whether you face personal suffering or overwhelming disaster this month, know that His compassions never fail, His mercies are new every morning, and His faithfulness is great. His presence goes with you and gives you rest. This is our confidence, our hope, and our victory.
Prayer: Father God, we start this new month hungry for Your presence. Thank You that Your presence is not just for perfect people but is freely given through Jesus Christ. We admit that sometimes we wanted Your blessings more than we wanted You close to us.
Lord, when we face terrible loss like Jeremiah, remind us that Your mercies are new every morning. When disaster hits like Joel’s locusts, help us come back to You with honest hearts. Forgive us for fake repentance that only changes our actions without changing our hearts. Give us grace to pour out our hearts honestly to You, holding nothing back.
We say that because of Your great love, we are not destroyed. Your compassions never fail. Your faithfulness holds us up. Whether we walk through hard valleys or stand on high mountains, Your presence goes with us. Change our suffering into testimony, our disasters into opportunities for deeper faith. Help us show others the same mercy You show us.
Thank You that through Christ’s death and resurrection, we can come into Your presence every moment. Fill us again this month. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Have a blessed month ahead. God bless abundantly.