Speaking to a Friend

Thus, the lord used to speak to Moses face-to-face as a person speaks to their friend. (Exodus 33:11)

Ex. 33:9-17; Num. 12; Isa. 41:8-10; 2 Chr. 20:7; James 2:23

What Is God Saying?

God spoke to Moses as a friend. “The Lord used to speak” suggests that this happened many times. Moses, a man of constant prayer, must have listened for the Lord's voice to give him direction in carrying out his responsibility. Using the word “friend,” the verse speaks of what is possible between God and humans.

In Jeremiah 3:19, the relationship is that of father to children; in 2 Chronicles 20:7 and Isaiah 41:9, it is that of friend to friend. In Psalm 123:2, the relationship is that of employer to worker. God, in Christ, is approachable. Jesus taught us to think of God as father and to address God as Father. As our Heavenly Father, we should listen to him and talk with him.

How Does This Apply To Us?

We must not bring the total otherness of God down to the level of a buddy. If we want to distort reality and miss the message of God, we have only to bring him down to our level and down to our size. That's like making God in our image. God wants us to be as children to an infinitely loving father. Jesus came to show that he is just that, and to grasp that fact is life-transforming.

There is also that otherness, total transcendence, and majesty. Lose that, and all communication breaks down (Isaiah 55:8-9). Still, our relationship with God has other aspects. He wants to communicate with us as a friend would communicate with a friend. Abraham is called ‘the Friend of God.’ Let us assume that God wants that kind of communication with us. The purpose of our prayer today is to explore those areas of friendship with God that can make our daily lives rich with meaning and steadfast in purpose.

Pray With Me

Cleanse me, O God, in heart and desire, in hand and deed, in mind and thought, until, with every barrier down, you can talk to me ‘as a person speaks to their friend.’ We speak to a friend, trusting they will understand. We talk to a friend, trusting them with our plans and hopes. I dedicate myself to the yearnings and burdens of your heart for humanity. Please give me knowledge of your will and an obedient heart.

Then I shall see your face, and seeing your face, I shall see your smile, the smile of a father forgiving, an employer approving, and a friend that will never forsake.

Through Him, who having not seen, yet I love. Amen

Moving On in the Life of Prayer

Without assuming we can come to him with easy familiarity, we may come to the Lord freely and spontaneously. Let us hear what he says in his word, and then resolve to align our lives with his purpose. Prayer becomes far more than a way of persuading God to change his mind. It becomes God's way of persuading us to change our lives. Try it. You'll like it!