GETTING AHEAD FROM BEHIND

GETTING AHEAD FROM BEHIND

By Rev. Samuel Arimoro

Main Text: 1 Samuel 16:11-13

Supporting Texts: Psalm 75:6-7, Ecclesiastes 9:11, Matthew 19:30, Genesis 41:39-44, Judges 6:14-16

INTRODUCTION:
In life, there are many who begin the journey from disadvantaged positions—unnoticed, unrecognised, underestimated, or forgotten. Some are labelled the least likely to succeed. Yet, our God specialises in raising people from the back to the front, from the bottom to the top, from obscurity to visibility. He is the God who promotes without protocol.

The story of David is a classic example of divine elevation from the background. When the prophet Samuel came to anoint a king from Jesse's house, David was not even considered worthy of the meeting. But what man overlooks, God handpicks. Similarly, Joseph rose from the prison to the palace, and Gideon from hiding to leading.

God is not limited by your background, circumstances, or social status. When He decides to lift a man, no one can stop Him. This sermon explores how God takes those behind and moves them ahead in fulfilment of divine destiny.

1. GOD SEES POTENTIAL WHERE OTHERS SEE INSIGNIFICANCE
God doesn't look at outward appearances but sees the heart and purpose within.

a) Man Looks at the Outside, God Looks Within (1 Samuel 16:7)
People may ignore you, but God sees what He placed in you.

b) Being Behind May Be God's Way of Preserving You (Exodus 2:3)
Moses was hidden to preserve his destiny from destruction.

c) Rejection by Men Can Be Selection by God (Psalm 118:22)
The stone the builders rejected became the cornerstone.

d) God Often Chooses the Weak to Confound the Strong (1 Corinthians 1:27-29)
God delights in using the least to accomplish the greatest.

Biblical Example: David – Overlooked by his father and brothers, but anointed by God as king (1 Samuel 16:11-13).

2. DIVINE TIMING IS CRITICAL TO DESTINY ADVANCEMENT
God's promotion is based on His timing, not human effort.

a) Elevation Comes from God Alone (Psalm 75:6-7)
Promotion is not a result of connection, but divine selection.

b) God Makes Everything Beautiful in Its Time (Ecclesiastes 3:11)
Delay is not denial; it may be preparation.

c) God's Time Overrides Man's Schedule (John 11:6)
Jesus waited before raising Lazarus to glorify God.

d) Rushing Ahead of God Can Derail Destiny (1 Samuel 13:8-14)
Saul’s impatience cost him the throne.

Biblical Example: Joseph – Though imprisoned, God elevated him at the right time to save a nation (Genesis 41:39-44).

3. GOD USES UNUSUAL PATHS TO FULFIL HIS PURPOSE
The way up in God's Kingdom often begins with humility and service.

a) God’s Path May Involve Unfamiliar or Humbling Routes (Isaiah 55:8–9)
His ways are not our ways; trust His process.

b) Servanthood is Often the Road to Kingship (Matthew 23:11)
True leaders often begin in servanthood.

c) Being Faithful in the Background Attracts Divine Reward (Luke 16:10)
God promotes those who serve diligently in obscurity.

d) God Makes All Things Work Together for Good (Romans 8:28)
Even what seems like a setback can be a setup.

Biblical Example: Gideon – Though hiding in fear, God raised him as a mighty deliverer (Judges 6:14-16).

4. GOD CAN TURN LAST INTO FIRST
Being behind is not the end when God is involved.

a) The Last Shall Be First (Matthew 19:30)
Divine reversals are possible when God steps in.

b) One Day of Divine Favour Can Erase Years of Labour (Esther 2:17)
God can fast-track your destiny in moments.

c) Delay is Not Defeat (Habakkuk 2:3)
Wait for it—it will speak at the right time.

d) God's Hand Removes Limitations (Zechariah 4:6-7)
Not by power or might, but by His Spirit.

Biblical Example: Esther – A young orphan girl elevated to queen by divine arrangement (Esther 2:7, 15-17).

CONCLUSION:
God delights in lifting those who trust in Him, even when they seem to be at the back. He specialises in taking the ignored, rejected, and delayed, and bringing them into honour and destiny fulfilment. If you feel behind in life, don’t despair—God’s eyes are on you. He is preparing you for a divine leap forward.

Remain faithful, stay aligned with His will, and trust His timing. When God decides to move you ahead, no man, limitation, or delay can stop Him.

PRAYER POINTS:
1. Lord, remember me and bring me forward in Your mercy.
2. Father, lift me from every place of obscurity into prominence.
3. Let divine timing align with my season for breakthrough.
4. Lord, turn every rejection into a redirection for glory.
5. Grant me grace to serve faithfully while waiting for elevation.
6. Lord, promote me according to Your purpose and not my qualification.
7. Let my background not hinder my future in Christ.
8. Father, raise me like David and Joseph in my generation.
9. Break every yoke of stagnation over my destiny.
10. Lord, announce me in places where I have been forgotten.

PROPHETIC DECLARATIONS:
1. You may have started behind, but you are moving ahead in Jesus’ name!
2. The favour of God will pick you out for divine promotion!
3. From the back seat, you are being ushered to the front row of destiny!
4. Every delay in your life shall be turned into divine acceleration!
5. Your season of obscurity is over; your light will shine forth!
6. What was once a limitation shall become your elevation!
7. Men may have forgotten you, but heaven has remembered you!
8. The anointing that lifts from the back is resting upon you now!
9. You are stepping into places beyond your qualification by divine grace!
10. God is taking you from behind and making you a front-runner in destiny!