And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. Exodus 19:17
Until this point in their dealings with God, the children of Israel were dependent on the intervention of Moses and Aaron. But this day was different; they were actually going to encounter God personally. Emerging forth from their tents, they approached Mount Sinai, and stood expectantly as Moses told them. And they would never be the same. What transpired during those next few hours would be forever etched in their memories. They would discuss it among themselves, and they would describe it to their children. Just like we do when we meet God.
Our first encounter with God is never as dramatic as the earthquakes and thunderings of Mount Sinai. But as far as our personal life is concerned, it is just as life changing. Go back to that moment when you first trusted the Saviour, and think about it. Everything you knew about God up to that point completely changed. Did you fear His judgment before? Now you rejoice in His love and grace. Did you doubt His interest in you before? Now you relax in the knowledge that you are His child. Did God seem distant and impersonal before? Now you marvel at His loving presence. Did the Bible seem to be just meaningless writings before? Now it is a constant unfolding of God’s loving care and guidance.
We have moved on from the base of Mount Sinai. We have lived and learned as Christians, and have grown in our knowledge of God. We can look back at the path the Lord has lead us, at lessons learned, at mistakes made. But it all started that day when we first met God for ourselves. And we will never forget. -Jim MacIntosh
Here is the link to the video of this message: https://youtu.be/ET16jSws_eM