Spoken Like a True Friend

I came across something today that changed the way I desire God. I found it in Exodus 33. A passage that I have read numerous times before now brought something totally different to the table. Something that defined relationship for me. That feeling you get when you say, "I wish things could be like that for me every once in a while." This OT God that is characterized as this judgmental, angry, vengeful and at times just plain harsh kind of God now gets some pretty good PR in the middle of a difficult time. Difficult in the sense that He is dealing with a very obstinate group of wieners. Here God has delivered His own people from bondage and found them wanting to choose a leader and go back shortly after. His own people that have followed this pillar of fire by night and a pillar of smoke by day, now forming some make shift idol in the image of a cow to worship and bow down to.

In Exodus 33:11, it says that Moses and God used to speak together face to face, "just as a man speaks to his friend." I can't get my mind around this. Moses is talking with the God who created this vast universe and the same God that put the stars in place. This immeasurable God that holds the earth on the tip of his finger is the same immense, audacious God speaking face to face with His creation. Coming down to our level to speak as a friend would. Having no obligation to clean up this messy spirituality we created in our lust and pride, yet He keeps talking and embracing.

In this 40 Day process of spiritual immersion I want to speak with Him as a friend would. Not asking for my own personal agenda to be met or my own selfish needs to be met, but like a friend. A friend that I've been longing to see again. To talk about real life and real pain and the realities that I face each and every day. Not small talk. I don't want to talk to God like I'm on some first date trying to break the ice or avoiding awkward silence. I want to talk like a friend would. Honest, loud, passionate, emotional, relaxed, endearing, open to list a few. I want to know that my time with the King isn't going to simply reflect the same ramblings of yesterday and the day before. How do I put this? I wanna want to be with Him like I do some of my closest friends. Why, because it tells me in Exodus 33 that by this type of friendship I will be distinguished from all other people. Hear me, I don't want o simply be distinguished for the sake of standing out. I want to be known as someone that has met the King and will never be the same.