³⁰ So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.
Exodus 35:30

In Middle School, I attended church camp at Jumonville in South Western Pennsylvania. One of the features of the camp is that they have a large 60-foot steel cross that can be seen for miles. God worked powerfully in my life at this camp. My life is different because of the way that I encountered God at Jummonville. Years later, I took some young men from my church as part of a whitewater rafting weekend. We spent time in worship and prayer below the Jummonville cross. For me, this mountaintop cross was sacred ground.

In Exodus, God calls Moses to Mt. Sinai for a little face time. While Moses was on the mountain, God began laying out the commandments and what it looked like for Israel to be the people of God. When Moses came down the mountain, something had happened. Exodus tells us that “the skin of his face shone” to the point that the Israelites were afraid. Moses’ encounter with God was so powerful that it changed his physical appearance. God was with Moses on the mountain, and Moses was filled with God’s presence.

In our life with God, there will be mountaintops where we experience the presence of God in such a powerful way that there is a near-instant transformation in our lives. Just as the people saw Moses’ skin “glowing” in the presence of God, our lives will reflect that we have had a mountaintop experience.  

As Christians, we should make it a habit to meet with God regularly. Sometimes, these meetings will feel mundane. Other times, God’s power and presence will fill our lives in a new way. Daily Bible Study, prayer, and weekly worship should be regular habits for spending time in God’s presence. Camps, retreats, and conferences can be mountaintop experiences because we have set aside so many distractions to encounter God. God is with us when we intentionally set time aside to meet with Him. God is with us on the mountaintops.

Almighty God,
We thank you for the times we have encountered your Spirit.
We praise you for the transformation you have made in our lives.
Help us to be open to your Spirit on the mountain and
To seek your presence in the mundane.
Work in us today; we pray. Amen.

Questions:
1. Where have you experienced a mountaintop experience? What made it powerful? How were you changed?
2.  How do you regularly come into the presence of God?