Camping out with God

Dan Harper February 16, 2026 2 0

Playlists

Add to Favourites

Save for later

Listen to this daily worship

Exodus 24: 12-18 (NIV-UK)

12 The Lord said to Moses, ‘Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stone with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.’

13 Then Moses set out with Joshua his assistant, and Moses went up on the mountain of God. 14 He said to the elders, ‘Wait here for us until we come back to you. Aaron and Hur are with you, and anyone involved in a dispute can go to them.’

15 When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it, 16 and the glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud. 17 To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. 18 Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Did you know that when you’re at high altitudes, like flying up in a plane, or climbing a mountain — sweet, salty, sour and bitter flavors all become muted due to lower air pressure and humidity affecting our sense of taste and smell. But our sensitivity for umami and savoury tastes doesn’t diminish and in fact might become more pronounced the higher up we are. I don’t know about you but I can picture Moses waiting it out with God, perched high in the clouds with tins of tomato soup and sardines keeping him going as he tries to hold on to his taste.

Moses was up Mount Siani for a long time, and a lot of that was spent in the clouds. This was not a day’s adventure with a comfortable bed at the end of it, this was no quick fix understanding of what might be required for a relationship with God.

It is very easy to think that because we can often get books, electronics, and a vast array of things we don’t need ready, primed and delivered within 24 hours, that we should be able to get quick answers in our life of faith, and our relationship with God.

As we see with Moses, and his mountaintop adventure, sometimes we have to sit and wait with God. I know what it is like to be looking at a problem that feels insurmountable and to want a quick and easy response from God. I also know that is not how it works.

God invites us to start climbing the apparently insurmountable, and invites us to follow, wait and learn as we journey together.

Prayer:

Dear God,

Help me come prepared for the long haul. Give me the readiness to start the journey with you, not knowing how, when, or where the end might be.

Amen.