Leaders are not necessarily the most skilled people in their organization. They may not be the smartest people on their team. But one thing spiritual leaders must be able to do well is to find their way into God’s holy presence. At times God’s people can become disoriented to God. The competing voices clamoring for our attention, the problems that continually surface, and the critics who demand a response can create a cacophony of noises that hide God’s presence.
While others are wringing their hands or assigning blame, this is the time when leaders must seek a meeting with God. There are moments when no ordinary consultation will do. We must break from our comfortable routine and do whatever is necessary to ensure we have met with the Lord. Moses ascended a majestic mountain to meet with God face to face. He did not stand at the bottom of the mount, waiting for God to come to Him. He did not climb the gentle slopes at the foot of the mount before stopping and waiting for God. Moses did not complain about the steep incline or jagged rocks or narrow trails he encountered. No, Moses knew there was far too much at stake for him not to hear from God. His people needed more than his opinion or best guess. Only a word from God would do. So Moses ascended to the very top of the mountain.
It is easy to brush over this phrase in our Bibles. But the reality is that before Moses experienced his life-changing encounter with God, he had to climb a mountain. When was the last time you made a similar effort to meet with God? What have your meetings with God been like, lately?