Lɪꜰᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏᴏꜰ! Day 1 - Have faith that lifts the roof (part 1) “And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.” Mark 2:5-6 (KJV) This story of the friends of the paralyzed man, who dug through the roof to be able to ensure their friend had a chance to be seen and healed by Jesus, has always been captivating to me. I always wondered if I would be a friend like that if I were in that situation. Am I a friend/mom/wife/sister/child like that now in my everyday life? The friends of the paralyzed man 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 to let obstacles stop them from reaching the ONE who could heal their friend. When the door was crowded, they created another way. Bold faith is persistent. It does not surrender when circumstances become difficult. Sometimes barriers are not signs to quit; they are invitations to persevere creatively and courageously. God honors determined faith. Am I like that? Or do I allow obstacles and seemingly impossible situations to let me become discouraged and let my faith become small? Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank you for honoring determined faith. Thank you for showing us through this scripture that we should not let our obstacles cripple our faith. Please make my faith strong every day. Amen. Michelle Horn for www.womenoftheword.co.za

Mᴏᴜɴᴛ Sɪɴᴀɪ Day 10 – Eight ascent - Yahweh! The Lord! “So Moses chiselled out two tablets of stone like the first ones. Early in the morning he climbed Mount Sinai as the Lord had commanded him, and he carried the two stone tablets in his hands. Then the Lord came down in a cloud and stood there with him; and he called out his own name, Yahweh.” Exodus 34:4-5 NKJV For his eighth and final ascent, Moses carried two freshly chiselled stone tablets back up to the summit to meet with God. Perhaps he assumed this climb would simply be a repeat of his previous experience when he first received the Ten Commandments. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙂𝙤𝙙... had something deeper in store. As the thick cloud came down, God chose to reveal Himself to Moses in a profound way, powerfully reaffirming His unfailing love, mercy, and unshakeable faithfulness. Moses went on to spend another 40 days and 40 nights saturated in the presence of the Almighty. When he finally descended the mountain, his brother Aaron and the entire nation shrank back in fear. Why? Because Moses’ face was visibly radiating the brilliant, residual glory of the Lord! It begs the question for us today: 𝘐𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳 - 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 - 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘺? In Matthew 5, Jesus boldly declared to His followers, “𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥.” This doesn't mean we need to force ourselves to be artificial, shining beacons in our own strength; rather, it means that when we spend intimate time with the Father, we cannot help but naturally radiate His divine glory, love, and character for a dark world to see. The events at Mount Sinai were truly monumental in the history of the world. Through this powerful encounter, God was creating for Himself a completely new nation, establishing righteous laws, and introducing a divine way of life. He beautifully showed Himself to be a God who actively desires to communicate with us and forge an intimate, lasting relationship with His people. At the mountain, He revealed His absolute holiness, clearly defined sin, and graciously provided a vivid prophetic picture that would eventually point us straight to our Savior, Jesus Christ. Pray with me: Father, thank You for the reminder that true transformation happens only in Your presence. Forgive me for the times I rush through my prayers just to check a box. I want to be a woman who lingers at the summit with You. Let the time I spend in Your Word and in prayer be so deep that it leaves a mark on my life. Let Your love and faithfulness saturate my heart so clearly that when I step back into my daily routine, I naturally radiate Your goodness, truth, and light to everyone around me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. Pastor Iriza www.womenoftheword.co.za

Mᴏᴜɴᴛ Sɪɴᴀɪ Day 9 – Seventh ascent, Steps of Repentance "𝘚𝘰 𝘔𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, “𝘖𝘩, 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘯 - 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘯𝘰𝘵, 𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯!” 𝘌𝘹𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘴 32:31-32 𝘕𝘒𝘑𝘝 Once again, Moses climbs the rugged heights of Sinai to intercede for the nation. But this time, he does not ascend because of the people's trembling fear; he ascends because of the terrible, devastating sin. Interestingly, the final stretch to the modern summit of Jebel Musa is known as the 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦. Showing a fierce, breathtaking love and mercy for a deeply flawed people, Moses intercedes. He beautifully anticipates the ultimate love and mercy of Jesus Christ by offering his very own life to God in exchange for the life of his nation. 𝘋𝘰 𝘐 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘺𝘱𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘦? We are not perfect. We know that all too well, and God knows it intimately. Even after experiencing a beautiful, spirit-filled encounter with God, there will be times when we stumble and transgress. But God, in His infinite love and unshakeable mercy, made a permanent way for us. Through the perfect life and sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we are given the grace to climb those very Steps of Repentance, leading us straight into the secure embrace of His grace. Lovely one, you might never fully comprehend the infinite, boundless depth of God’s love for you, but you can rest in the absolute certainty that He will never turn His back on you. Do not let shame keep you at the foot of the mountain. Enter into His presence today with a heart of honest repentance, because Jesus Christ has already given His life for you. You are, and will always be, God’s beloved. Pray with me: Father, thank You for Jesus Christ and that I can come to You with a repenting heart. Forgive me, Lord, for breaking Your heart. Teach me Your paths through Your Word. Though I might never understand the fullness of Your love, mercy, and grace – I know that You love me. I praise You for that. Amen. Pastor Iriza www.womenoftheword.co.za

Mᴏᴜɴᴛ Sɪɴᴀɪ Day 8 – Sixth ascent, from covenant to idolatry “𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘔𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴, 𝘈𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘯, 𝘕𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘣, 𝘈𝘣𝘪𝘩𝘶, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘺 𝘦𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘐𝘴𝘳𝘢𝘦𝘭 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯. 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. 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!” 𝘌𝘹𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘴 24:9-11 𝘕𝘒𝘑𝘝 After faithfully following God’s instructions, Moses built an altar, cleansed the nation, and read the Book of the Covenant aloud. With one voice, Israel accepted the Word of God. As per God’s invitation, Moses took the chosen leaders up the mountain, and instead of receiving more instructions, they feasted in the very presence of the Lord! God Himself prepared a banquet for them on the mountain, and though they gazed upon His holy majesty, He allowed them to live. What a breathtaking foreshadowing of the grand wedding feast Jesus is preparing for us today. Following this intimate meal, Moses was commanded to ascend even further up Sinai, accompanied only by Joshua, while the others returned to the camp. During that forty-day and forty-night period, God gives Moses more instructions and the pair of stone tablets inscribed with His own finger. But at the foot of Sinai … the chosen nation Israel, broke the first covenant agreement by persuading Aaron to build them a golden calf. From a beautiful encounter with God on the summit – feasting in His presence – they plummeted to the sin of idolatry at the foot. It took them only 40-days. How long does it take us? The enemy loves to infiltrate even the most precious spirit-filled moments, contaminating them with sin to try to break covenants, promises, and the heart of God. But God’s love and grace are infinite, and through the Blood of Jesus, we can come in repentance into the presence of the Lord. Pray with me: Father, when I read this piece of scripture, I am reminded of Adam, Eve, and the serpent. Help us, Lord, to guard against the schemes of the enemy and to hold fast to Your Word and the promises it gives us. Remind us daily that You are life and that we are chosen through salvation to sit at the bridal feast, entering eternity with You. Amen. Pastor Iriza www.womenoftheword.co.za

Mᴏᴜɴᴛ Sɪɴᴀɪ Day 7 – Fifth ascent, entering the darkness “𝘈𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘔𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴.” 𝘌𝘹𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘴 20:21 𝘕𝘒𝘑𝘝 I’m not sure about you, but if I climb a mountain once, it would be enough for me. A second time, maybe, yes, but more than that, I would really start complaining – especially if it looks like Sinai at this point. But what trust did Moses have in the Lord to make another journey? Not just to reach the summit but into a dark cloud? The Hebrew describes the darkness as ‘𝗮̆𝗿𝗮̂𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗹 (pronounced 𝘢𝘳-𝘢𝘸-𝘧𝘦𝘭), meaning a thick darkness or gloom as of a lowering sky. It wasn’t just dark, like we would think of the darkness of night. When I read this, I found it very contradictory to Jesus being the 𝘓𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥. Why would God be in a cloud of darkness if there is no darkness in Him (1 John 1:5)? But our omnipresent God can be found anywhere. In dungeons and pits, in the belly of a whale, the grave, and your darkest moments. Sometimes God would have you walk into dark situations, inviting you into the midst of the cause to reveal His plan. This supernatural darkness was shielding Israel from His overwhelming holiness and divine presence. Still, within this darkness, God gave Moses instructions and regulations to follow: the proper use of altars, fair treatment of slaves, cases of personal injury, protection of property, social responsibility, call for justice, three annual feasts, and the promise of the Lord’s presence. The first thing God teaches Israel is the proper use of altars. Today, we no longer use altars because we can come into God’s presence under grace through our righteousness in Jesus Christ. Our prayers are offered as a sweet-smelling aroma to God as if they are placed on an altar before His throne. Our prayers allow us to step into the darkness where God calls us – into His presence. Pray with me: Father, thank You that You are omnipresent, and even if the situation looks dark, I trust that You are there. There is nowhere to hide from You. Give me the courage and boldness to step into the ‘ărâphel to hear your instructions and guidance. Amen. Pastor Iriza www.womenoftheword.co.za

Mᴏᴜɴᴛ Sɪɴᴀɪ Day 6 – Fourth ascent, intercession “𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘥 𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯; 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘥, 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘱 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘱 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯. 𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘔𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘪 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘮𝘰𝘬𝘦, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦. 𝘐𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘮𝘰𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘮𝘰𝘬𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘧𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘭𝘺. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘳, 𝘔𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘬𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘣𝘺 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘔𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘪, 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘔𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘶𝘱.” 𝘌𝘹𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘴 19:16-20 𝘕𝘒𝘑𝘝 Can you imagine standing in that crowd with the Israelites, looking up at this terrifying scene? Here was a nation that had known only the cracking whips of Egypt. They had never travelled beyond those borders until now, and they likely had never seen a mountain at all, let alone one engulfed in thunder, lightning, smoke, and fire. Understandably, they trembled in absolute fear. It is during this fourth ascent that Moses actually protests. He reminds God, “𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘪. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘴... ‘𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘢 𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘺.’” Moses was concerned about the safety of the people, but he missed a vital point: 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀; 𝗛𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. Throughout the Bible, the theme of testing is often illustrated with fire. Moses didn't protest because he was tired of climbing the mountain 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯. He climbed despite the smoke, the thunder, the fire, and the earthquake. The nation had asked him to 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘥𝘦 on their behalf, promising they would listen to him as their mediator (verses 18–19). Lovely one, there are days when our personal mountains look exactly like Sinai, shrouded in smoke and shaking with uncertainty. Often, these mountains involve the people around us, and this fourth ascent teaches us the power of intercession. It calls us to step up and pray for others, regardless of how we feel about the mountain we are currently climbing. Pray with me: Father, give me strength and a bold spirit to obey Your voice regardless of what the mountain in front of me looks like. Situations come with their own fire and earthquakes, but thank You, Lord, for being on top of it all. Let Your Word purify me. Teach me during these climbs to intercede for others, too. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. Pastor Iriza www.womenoftheword.co.za

Mᴏᴜɴᴛ Sɪɴᴀɪ Day 5 – Third ascent, preparation of your heart “𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴, '𝘎𝘰 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘥 𝘥𝘢𝘺. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘥 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘔𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘪 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦.” 𝘌𝘹𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘴 19:10 𝘕𝘒𝘑𝘝 Many scholars believe that verse 10 is part of the discourse in verse 9, but God is speaking to Moses again, which implies that Moses made another journey up the mountain. When he descends in verse 14, his assignment is to consecrate the people in preparation for the Lord’s appearance on the mountain on the third day. In our own lives, we often want the 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘥 𝘋𝘢𝘺 experience. The glory, the breakthrough, and the clear presence of God, without going through the two days of preparation. Consecration is the process of setting ourselves apart and preparing our hearts for God. For the Israelites, this involved washing their clothes as an outward sign of an inward cleansing. They had to be ready, for God was about to do something significant in their sight. God is intentional about His presence, but He also values our readiness. Are you taking the time to 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴 in preparation for what God wants to reveal in your next climb? Pray with me: Father, thank You for showing us that You value our readiness. Help us, Lord, to cleanse our hearts through repentance, just like the Israelites washed their clothes as we wait for what You are about to do in our lives. May we experience an expectancy of Your majesty as we prepare our hearts and wait on You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. Pastor Iriza www.womenoftheword.co.za

Mᴏᴜɴᴛ Sɪɴᴀɪ Day 4 – Second ascent, intentional presence “𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, ‘𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘰.’ 𝘚𝘰 𝘔𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴, ‘𝘉𝘦𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥, 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳.’ 𝘚𝘰 𝘔𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥.” 𝘌𝘹𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘴 19:8-9 𝘕𝘒𝘑𝘝 As the narrative continues, we see Moses stepping fully into his role as the mediator between God and Israel. During his second ascent, he carried the nation's response back to the Lord: they were willing and ready to accept the terms of the covenant. Instead of giving the covenant, God chose to manifest His presence to the entire assembly as He came to Moses in a thick cloud so that the people could audibly hear His voice as He spoke to Moses. This divine encounter was intentional. It was designed to strip away any room for questions, doubt, or disbelief, ensuring the people would trust that the words Moses brought down from the mountain were indeed the words of God. God does not hide; He is intentional about His presence in our lives. He is already at the summit of the mountain you are climbing, waiting to reveal His glory and might to you as you reach the summit. He does not hide His Word either; it is available for all to hear, providing the truth we need to endure in our faith. Just as He descended in a thick cloud so the Israelites could hear His voice and believe, He wants to strip away your doubt and replace it with a firm foundation of trust. Pray with me: Father, thank You for being at the summit of my mountains, and that I know I can be in Your loving presence. May Your Word be the truth in my life, so others can see it too. Help me to testify the Truth to those You bring across my path. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. Pastor Iriza www.womenoftheword.co.za

Mᴏᴜɴᴛ Sɪɴᴀɪ Day 3 – First ascent, a declaration of Love “𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘰 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨, '𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘰𝘣, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘐𝘴𝘳𝘢𝘦𝘭: ‘𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘨𝘺𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘴’ 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧. 𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦, 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘣𝘦𝘺 𝘔𝘺 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘔𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦; 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘦. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘦 𝘢 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.’ 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘐𝘴𝘳𝘢𝘦𝘭.” 𝘌𝘹𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘴 19:3-6 𝘕𝘒𝘑𝘝 As Israel began pitching their tents at the foot of Mount Sinai, Moses made his first ascent. Interestingly, God’s initial words were not a personal revelation for Moses, but a profound declaration of love intended for the people He had brought to Himself. Even before the formal covenant was made, God asked them to keep it. In the Biblical narrative starting from Genesis, entering a covenant was a major part of what it meant to live in the early world. God wanted to build a relationship with the Israelites through a structure they already understood. A covenant is a relationship between two partners who make binding promises to each other and work together to reach a common goal. Covenants define obligations and commitments; they are distinct from legal contracts because they are deeply relational and personal, requiring both parties to work together toward a common goal. With the first ascent, God was preparing the heart of the nation for what was to come by declaring His love and asking only for their obedience. And in doing so, they will be His special treasure above all people – a kingdom of priests and a Holy nation. Think of the 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 in your own life - the challenges or seasons you climbed specifically to hear from God. Did you receive the full revelation the first time? Throughout the Sinai experience, we see that God unfolds His plan, climb-by-climb, revealing a little more each time as we remain faithful to the journey. But first, He desires a relationship with you. Pray with me: Father, thank You that You call us to Yourself through love and that You are not shy to share Your love with us. Sometimes we just want the answers and neglect to see Your love first. Let us accept Your love and let it wash over us like the promises given to the Israelites. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. Pastor Iriza www.womenoftheword.co.za

Mᴏᴜɴᴛ Sɪɴᴀɪ Day 2 – Location, location, location “𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘐𝘴𝘳𝘢𝘦𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘌𝘨𝘺𝘱𝘵, 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘪. 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘙𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘮, 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘪, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘚𝘰 𝘐𝘴𝘳𝘢𝘦𝘭 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯.” 𝘌𝘹𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘴 19:1-2 𝘕𝘒𝘑𝘝 No one really knows exactly which mountain in the Sinai Peninsula is Sinai from Exodus. For centuries, scholars, explorers, geologists, archaeologists, and pilgrims have sought the location of Mount Sinai – the infamous mountain where God gave the law to Moses and His people. Several sites have been proposed, but no site has been archaeologically confirmed as the place where God met with Moses. From the Bible texts, we have a general idea about the location. We know it is beyond the boundaries of Egypt, because they came into the Wilderness of Sinai and camped before the mountain. Scripture also hints that Sinai was not in Midian, as Moses’ Midianite in-laws leave Sinai to return to their own land. The most common site identified is in the south-central part of the Sinai Peninsula. The mountain, today called 𝘑𝘦𝘣𝘦𝘭 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘢 (“the mountain of Moses”), has an elevation of 2285,086 meters above sea level. In AD 530, St. Catherine’s Monastery was constructed at the northern foot of Jebel Musa, and the ancient library was the source of Codex Sinaiticus, one of the major Greek texts used to aid Bible translation. Mount Sinai also figures in the story of the prophet Elijah. When fleeing Queen Jezebel, Elijah stopped to rest in the desert. There, an angel of the Lord fed him, and strengthened by that food, he travelled for forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. Scholars believe (and old translations) that Elijah stayed in a cave in the Sinai Peninsula, where he met the Lord. The parallels between Elijah’s experience and Moses’ are significant: both prophets were sustained by God for 40 days and nights. Both met with God and heard His audible voice. Both were in the same location. The exact location may be unknown, but what happened at Sinai changed the world. Exactly where it happened is of small consequence. Geographical locations do not bind God, and He will meet you when you seek Him. The question is, are you willing to climb the mountain in your life (sometimes multiple times) to seek His face? Pray with me: Father, thank You for showing us that location is not what matters, but the encounter with You is. Guide us, Lord, when we seek You in our climb and sustain our bodies, souls, and spirits as You did for Moses, the Israelites, and later Elijah. We want to meet You and hear Your voice. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. Pastor Iriza www.womenoftheword.co.za

Mᴏᴜɴᴛ Sɪɴᴀɪ Day 1 – Go back down “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘪 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘔𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯. 𝘚𝘰 𝘔𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯.” 𝘌𝘹𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘴 19:20 𝘕𝘓𝘛 While I was writing the devotional on the Sabbath (Pause, Reflect, Sabbath), my attention was drawn to Moses and the Israelites at the foot of Mount Sinai. I was taught the “first mentioned” of Bible study, and I paged to where the Ten Commandments were mentioned. I lingered for a moment over today’s verse, taking in this special and sacred moment where God called Moses to Him. The first thing God tells Moses when he reached the top is, “Then the Lord told Moses, '𝙂𝙤 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 and warn the people not to break through the boundaries to see the Lord, or they will die.” (verse 21) "Go back down?" I thought. Seriously? Moses had 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 arrived! It was in that moment of reflection that I realized Moses didn’t climb Mount Sinai just once - he made that gruelling ascent eight different times. It made me look at my own life. How many times have I had to climb the exact same mountain? What would have happened if I had simply decided to quit? Believe me, there were times when I threw a tantrum, telling God I couldn't handle a circumstance or that I was "done" with a person. But there are deep, significant, and transformative lessons to be learned here at Mount Sinai, and I invite you to join me for this devotional to discover a story of love, grace, intercession, covenant, and endurance. Pray with me: Father, thank You for the mountains in my life to teach me to draw closer to You, to have endurance in my faith, and to be obedient in what You ask. Equip us, Lord, to become experienced mountaineers to climb the mountains of life with joy and thanksgiving. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. Pastor Iriza www.womenoftheword.co.za