Are you God’s friend?
I became fascinated with the story of Moses a few years ago. Moses’ life began in a river swarmed by reeds and thickets of bulrushes. At a time where there was a national edict to kill all Hebrew baby boys in the land of Egypt, Moses’ mother, Jochebed, saw the only solution of leaving her baby in the Nile River with the hope that he would be saved. Rescued by the princess of the land, Moses grew up amongst royalty.
Years later, after Moses was an adult, he encountered a scene that drove him to kill a man passionately. Even though Moses was raised amongst the Egyptians, he never forgot his ancestry, the Hebrews. On this day, whilst watching his people hard at work, he witnessed an Egyptian beating a Hebrew. In his anger, he killed the Egyptian, but the next day after separating two Hebrews from fighting, the secret of his murderous actions came to light.
In fear, Moses ran away to the Midian desert for 40 years. After continuously testing God and disbelieving of his strength and God’s purpose for his life, he finally agreed to obey and follow God. Under God’s leadership, he returned to Egypt and saved the Hebrew people from tyranny and slavery. But the fascinating portion of Moses history is not only his works and deeds for the Hebrew nation but his relationship with God.
A new beginning
The Bible says, “as Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with Moses…The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.” (Exodus 33:9,11)
The story gets even more fascinating. Moses had a supernatural ending; the Bible states the mountain in which he left the earth but not how he died. In Jude 1:9, it says that the archangel Michael disputed with the devil about the body of Moses. And then there was Moses’ supernatural reappearance with Christ in the Gospels. Jesus went up to a high mountain to pray with Peter, James, and John. Luke 9:29-30 says that “as he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus.”
Moses was God’s friend. The book of Exodus is full of conversations that they had with each other. There is no other record in the Bible of God speaking with anyone as much as He did with Moses. He is the only recorded person to have spent 80 days and nights, in God’s presence. It brings a better understanding of why they had such a friendship. The love and strength of that friendship are shown in Exodus 33:17 where Moses asked God for something, “and the Lord said to Moses, “I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”
My desire
I wanted God to know me by name. I wanted to have such a burning relationship with Him that as soon as my eyes opened, we both would smile… ‘our friend is back’.
I want to be like Moses, who spoke to God’s face to face like a close friend. His best friend and daughter who relies on Him for all of my needs. The Bible states that “Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.” (Numbers 12:3) This is our starting point.
Food for thought
Final Thoughts: Are you God’s friend? Do you bring joy to God? Trust and draw closer to Christ; let go of pride, the need for control, and self-sufficiency. We need to give it all over to God and walk in His will, not our own. God is pursuing you with such an abounding love – reach out to Him today.
Prayer: How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house;
they are ever praising you. Hear my prayer, Lord God Almighty; listen to me, God of Jacob. Look on our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one. Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you. – Psalm 84:1, 2, 4, 8-12
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