Sunday Sermon: Stop trying to move ahead of God. His timing is perfect. Trust Him.
November 30, 2025,
Month of the Presence of God.
Key Bible Verse: “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1
“Stop trying to move ahead of God. His timing is perfect. Trust Him.” This message calls the church to slow down, walk in step with God’s presence, and surrender personal timelines to His perfect will. God is not late; He is never early; He is always right on time for those who trust Him with all their heart. On this last Sunday of November 2025, in this month of the Presence of God, the Holy Spirit is inviting us to wait, to rest, and to follow, instead of rushing ahead in fear or impatience.
Key Bible verse (Theme – God’s Presence and Timing) “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1
This month, as we focus on the Presence of God, this verse reminds believers that staying, dwelling, and remaining under God’s covering is safer than running ahead to chase our own plans.
Introduction
Many times, the greatest battles in the Christian life are not fought with demons or with people, but with our own impatience and desire to control timing. God has a perfect plan and a perfect timetable, yet the human heart often wants quick answers, instant results, and immediate breakthroughs. When things seem slow, delayed, or confusing, there is a strong temptation to move ahead of God—to force open doors He has not opened, to start relationships He has not blessed, or to pursue opportunities He has not yet released. But Scripture consistently shows that God’s timing is always perfect, and His paths are always right for those who trust Him. In this month of the Presence of God, on this last Sunday of November 2025, God is calling His people to stop rushing, stop striving, and instead learn to walk in pace with His Spirit. Dwelling in His presence is better than arriving early at any destination without Him. As this year moves toward its close, this word comes as a loving correction and a gentle invitation: “Wait for Me. Trust Me. My timing is perfect.”
1: The Danger of Running Ahead of God
Running ahead of God means taking matters into our own hands instead of waiting for His direction and timing. It is when believers decide to “help God” by forcing results, manipulating situations, or ignoring the gentle checks of the Holy Spirit, believing that their way is faster or smarter. When this happens, hearts move from trust to anxiety, from faith to self-reliance, and from worship to subtle idolatry of plans, timelines, and personal dreams.
Scripture shows many examples of the danger of rushing ahead of God’s timing. When people insist on their own way, they often end up with unnecessary stress, wasted resources, broken relationships, and painful consequences that God never intended for them. Instead of saving time, they lose time; instead of finding peace, they lose peace. Running ahead of God can also cause believers to miss important lessons, character formation, and preparation that God wants to accomplish in the “waiting season.” Sometimes God delays not to punish but to protect, prepare, and position His children for greater fruitfulness.
In this month of the Presence of God, it is dangerous to say with the mouth, “Lord, I want Your presence,” while the heart silently says, “But I want my schedule.” The presence of God is found in surrender, not in stubbornness. To run ahead of God is to step out from under His covering; to wait for Him is to remain under the shadow of the Almighty, where there is safety, peace, and rest.
2: God’s Timing Is Always Perfect
God’s timing is not like human timing; Scripture says that with the Lord, a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years like a day. This means God sees the beginning, middle, and end of every story in one clear view, and His decisions are shaped by perfect wisdom, love, and foresight. He knows when a door must remain closed, when a delay will protect us, and when “the fullness of time” has come for a promise to manifest. What looks like slowness to us is often strategic precision from Heaven.
Believers are reminded again and again that the Lord is never early and never late; He is always right on time. Verses about trusting and waiting—such as calls to wait for the Lord with courage, to commit our way to Him, and to rest in Him—are given because God understands how deeply His children struggle with impatience. When we insist on “our schedule,” we can easily misinterpret God’s love and faithfulness through the lens of delay. But when we trust His timing, even unfulfilled situations become places of worship, where hearts say, “Lord, You know best.”
On this last Sunday of November, as the church reflects on the Presence of God, the call is to accept that His timing is part of His presence. Where God leads, He also provides; where He delays, He is also working. The believer who embraces God’s timing will discover that peace replaces panic, and patience becomes a testimony of faith.
3: Dwelling in God’s Presence, Not in Anxiety
The theme of this month is the Presence of God, and Scripture teaches that whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. To “dwell” means to stay, abide, remain, and refuse to move without Him. Many believers visit God’s presence but dwell in anxiety, fear, comparison, and constant worry about the future. God’s desire is that His people would reverse this pattern: dwell in Him, and only occasionally visit anxiety when tempted, but quickly return to His presence in faith.
Anxious striving often pushes people into premature decisions: rushing into commitments, forcing outcomes, or abandoning waiting because fear whispers, “God has forgotten you.” But in the presence of God, those lies are exposed, and hearts are reminded that He is faithful, near to the brokenhearted, and committed to finishing what He started. Anxiety shrinks when believers choose to worship instead of worry, to pray instead of panic, and to listen instead of hurry.
In practical terms, dwelling in God’s presence means prioritizing time with Him in the Word, in worship, and in stillness before making major decisions. It means asking, “Lord, what are You saying?” before asking, “How quickly can this happen?” Remaining aware that God is with us in every season creates a holy slowness, a readiness to wait and walk rather than sprint without Him. On this last Sunday of November 2025, the invitation is clear: let God’s presence become your address, not your occasional stop.
4: Trusting God’s Path When It Looks Like a Detour
Sometimes God’s leading does not look efficient; it looks like a detour, a delay, or even a backward step. In Scripture, God often led His people the “long way around,” not to frustrate them but to protect them from battles they were not ready to fight and to deepen their dependence on Him. Many believers feel ready for “battle”—ready for promotion, ministry, marriage, or new responsibility—but God, in His wisdom, may lead through a desert season first. Detours in God’s hand are not wasted; they are classrooms of trust.
Trusting God’s path means believing that though the route feels slower, it is safer, wiser, and more fruitful in the long run. It means accepting that character formation, humility, and obedience are more important to God than speed, visibility, or human approval. In seasons where nothing seems to be moving, God is often moving deeper in us—breaking pride, healing wounds, and aligning motives with His will. When believers finally step into the promise, they are more prepared, more surrendered, and more able to carry what God releases.
On this final Sunday of November, as the church celebrates the Presence of God, let every apparent detour be re-labeled as divine preparation. The believer who trusts God’s path chooses to say, “Lord, if You are in this slower road, I choose this road. I would rather walk with You on a long path than run without You on a shortcut.” That confession closes the door to impatience and opens the door to deeper intimacy and guidance.
This Week’s Declaration
This week, declare by faith: “I refuse to run ahead of God. I choose to wait in His presence, trust His heart, and follow His timing. The Lord’s plans for me are good, wise, and right on time. I will not be controlled by fear, comparison, or impatience. I dwell in the shelter of the Most High and rest in the shadow of the Almighty. My times are in His hands, and He is ordering my steps. In every decision, I will seek His face, listen for His voice, and move only when He says, ‘Go.’”
This Week’s Reflection
Take time this week to reflect on where impatience has quietly taken the driver’s seat in your life. Are there areas where you have pushed ahead of God—perhaps in relationships, finances, career moves, or ministry decisions—because you were tired of waiting? Ask the Holy Spirit to show you any choices made from fear, pride, or pressure instead of faith and obedience. Reflect on how God has previously used delays to protect and prepare you. Remember times when His “no” or “not yet” later became a clear blessing. As you meditate on verses about trusting and waiting on God, allow your heart to be softened again to His timing. Let this week be a turning point where you move from striving to surrender, from rushing to resting, and from controlling outcomes to trusting the God who holds every season.
Self-Examination
Use these questions as a mirror in God’s presence:
- Whose timing am I truly trusting—God’s, or my own? Do my reactions to delay reveal patience or frustration?
- Have I made decisions recently without praying, waiting, or seeking godly counsel because I felt “time was running out”?
- Am I more focused on reaching certain milestones than on walking closely with Jesus day by day?
- Do I measure God’s faithfulness by how fast He answers, or by what He has already done at the cross and in my life?
- Are there areas where I have clearly heard “wait” but have chosen to push forward anyway?
Bring each answer honestly before the Lord. Confess where impatience, fear, or pride have led you to move ahead of Him. Ask Him to realign your heart so that His presence becomes your first priority and His timing your deep delight. Invite the Holy Spirit to teach you how to wait actively—with worship, obedience, and readiness—rather than complaining or doubting. Allow God to reorder your steps, even if it means slowing down.
Conclusion : The call of this sermon is simple but strong: stop trying to move ahead of God. His timing is perfect, His wisdom is unsearchable, and His love for you is settled forever at the cross. Every attempt to rush, manipulate, or control outcomes reveals a heart that is afraid that God might forget, delay too long, or miss something important. Yet Scripture and testimony both proclaim that He is always on time, always present, and always working for the good of those who love Him. In this month of the Presence of God, as November closes, the Spirit invites you to live slower but deeper—to choose His presence over pressure and His pace over your own.
Repentance is turning away from all the bad stuff and turning to Jesus. It means changing direction, leaving behind self-led choices, and coming back to Jesus as Lord. It is not just feeling sorry; it is deciding to trust Him, obey Him, and follow His timing from today onward.
Altar Call : If you recognize that you have been running ahead of God—making choices without Him, trusting your own plan, or living far from His presence—today is the day to return. Jesus calls you to repent, believe, and follow Him. If you have never surrendered your life to Christ, or if you have drifted away, this is your moment. Lay down your timelines, your fears, and your sins at His feet. He forgives, restores, and leads you into a new life where His presence is your home and His timing your confidence. Come to Him now, just as you are.
Prayer : Lord Jesus, thank You that Your timing is perfect and Your presence is my safest place. Forgive me for every time I rushed ahead of You, trusted my own understanding, or tried to control what only You can direct. Today, I choose to surrender my plans, my deadlines, and my fears into Your hands. Teach me to wait on You with faith, to walk in step with Your Spirit, and to seek Your face before I make any decision. Heal the consequences of my impatience, restore what has been broken, and realign my heart with Your will. Let this new week—and the rest of this year—be lived under the shadow of the Almighty. I declare that I trust Your timing, I welcome Your presence, and I follow Your voice. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.
God bless you abundantly.