Exodus 24

Meeting with God

Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity. ~ Exodus 24:9-10

Have you ever wanted to experience God in a deeper way, to truly feel His presence and know that He is near? In Exodus 24, God invited Moses and the leaders of Israel to come up the mountain to meet with Him. What a powerful invitation that must have been for them to step away from the noise of the camp and come closer to His glory. That moment can be a reminder to us today that God still calls His people higher. He desires not just to be known about, but for people to know Him personally.

From as long as I can remember, I have always talked to God. When I was young, He was like my invisible friend, but not someone I imagined. I knew deep down that I was truly talking to Him in all those quiet, internal conversations. As I grew older and stepped into adult life, I still talked to Him, but because life became busier, those conversations mostly happened when I was in trouble or in need. It wasn’t until I made the intentional decision to set aside time each day to meet with Him in a quiet space, away from distractions, that my life truly began to shift. I didn’t come with an agenda or a list of requests, I simply wanted to spend time with Him. In that stillness, I began to sense His presence in a way I never had before. That daily connection changed something deep within me. His presence brought peace, clarity, and a renewed hunger to know Him more. It reminded me that a relationship with God is not built on tasks or routines, but on time spent together with Him, away from the busyness of life.

In today’s reading, Moses was called to go higher while others stayed at a distance. This is how God invites each person to come closer if they are willing. His presence transforms hearts, renews strength, and brings understanding that cannot be gained any other way. The closer you draw to Him, the clearer you begin to see His purpose and power at work in your life.

Below are some ways you can get started today:

• Set aside quiet time each day to simply be with God without distractions or time limits.
• Read a passage of Scripture slowly, asking God to speak to your heart through it.
• Keep a notebook to write down what you sense God is saying to you or showing you in prayer.
• Worship Him with gratitude, focusing on who He is rather than what you need.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with His presence and to reveal more of God’s character to you.
• Spend time in nature or a peaceful place to listen for God’s voice and notice His creation.

Maybe you already have a time in your schedule that you read His word and a devotional, but take it a step further and truly spend time talking with and listening to His love and direaction for you life each day.

Today I want to encourage you to answer God’s invitation to come closer. He is calling you higher, away from distractions and into a deeper experience of His presence. Maybe you already have a time in your schedule to read His Word and a devotional but take it a step further by spending time truly talking with Him and listening to His love and direction for your life each day. The same God who met Moses on the mountain desires to meet with you today. As you draw near to Him, He will reveal Himself in ways that strengthen your faith, calm your heart, and fill you with His wisdom and peace. Make it your daily priority to meet with Him and allow His presence to renew your spirit and guide your steps.

Today’s scripture reading: Exodus 24

1 Then the Lord instructed Moses: “Come up here to me, and bring along Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of Israel’s elders. All of you must worship from a distance. 

2 Only Moses is allowed to come near to the Lord. The others must not come near, and none of the other people are allowed to climb up the mountain with him.”

3 Then Moses went down to the people and repeated all the instructions and regulations the Lord had given him. All the people answered with one voice, “We will do everything the Lord has commanded.”

4 Then Moses carefully wrote down all the Lord’s instructions. Early the next morning Moses got up and built an altar at the foot of the mountain. He also set up twelve pillars, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. 

5 Then he sent some of the young Israelite men to present burnt offerings and to sacrifice bulls as peace offerings to the Lord. 

6 Moses drained half the blood from these animals into basins. The other half he splattered against the altar.

7 Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it aloud to the people. Again they all responded, “We will do everything the Lord has commanded. We will obey.”

8 Then Moses took the blood from the basins and splattered it over the people, declaring, “Look, this blood confirms the covenant the Lord has made with you in giving you these instructions.”

9 Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel climbed up the mountain. 

10 There they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there seemed to be a surface of brilliant blue lapis lazuli, as clear as the sky itself. 

11 And though these nobles of Israel gazed upon God, he did not destroy them. In fact, they ate a covenant meal, eating and drinking in his presence!

12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain. Stay there, and I will give you the tablets of stone on which I have inscribed the instructions and commands so you can teach the people.” 

13 So Moses and his assistant Joshua set out, and Moses climbed up the mountain of God.

14 Moses told the elders, “Stay here and wait for us until we come back. Aaron and Hur are here with you. If anyone has a dispute while I am gone, consult with them.”

15 Then Moses climbed up the mountain, and the cloud covered it. 

16 And the glory of the Lord settled down on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from inside the cloud. 

17 To the Israelites at the foot of the mountain, the glory of the Lord appeared at the summit like a consuming fire. 

18 Then Moses disappeared into the cloud as he climbed higher up the mountain. He remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Journal:

• What might God be inviting me to step away from so that I can spend more time with Him?
• When have I felt closest to God, and what helped me experience His presence?
• How can I make space in my day to hear His voice more clearly?
• What do I hope to experience as I spend more intentional time with God?