Moses is described in many ways in the Bible. He is called a "man of God, the greatest prophet to arise in Israel, and a servant of the Lord." But one of the most interesting descriptions of Moses is that of a "friend of God." The Bible says, "The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend" (Ex..33:11 NIV). Moses maintained an intimate relationship with God - so much that he would forever be known as God's friend.

Many people have told me that God is their friend, but seldom do I hear someone say, "I want to be God's friend." A friend of God is one who listens - and obeys the voice of God. In Moses relationship with God, he didn't do all the talking. Rather, he listened to God's voice.

Many years ago while visiting Israel, a Jewish believer told me, "Many people come to my country with different motivations. They come as tourists or to learn more about the Bible. But very few come with a heart to get to know God better." He continued, "I want to be a man who knows the heart of God. I want to be a friend of God."

The victorious man or woman of God is the one who is a friend of God - one who has learned to listen, to communicate on an intimate level with God. The great thieves of such intimacy are a hurried schedule and vast responsibilities. Often they crowd out a deep level of communication. However, Moses refused to allow that to take place. He was an extremely busy man. He was responsible for nearly 3,000,000 people. He had the burden to feed, clothe, house and transport them.

How could Moses fulfill his responsibilities and simultaneously have enough time to be "a friend of God?" Simple. He had a tent and he pitched it outside of the camp (the living area of the multitudes of people). He would go there and meet with God. It was a place secluded enough to afford him intimate conversation with the One he loved. A friend of God will find a place and a time where he gets alone and listens to the heart of God. He will come with a Bible in hand and spiritual ears to hear the voice of God. And God can trust him with the deep secrets of His heart.

The friend of God is not one who rushes in and out of God's presence. It takes time to communicate. Martin Luther used to say that the busier he became, the more he needed time to pray. Most of us have the opposite response to heavy responsibilities and a hectic schedule. The first thing that we do is cut out our intimate time with God. But if we truly desire to be God's man or woman, we will learn that we can't do without sufficient time to commune with our Father. We'll re-prioritize. Our friendship with God will take first place in our lives.

What legacy will we leave our children and grandchildren? That depends upon what's important. And we always make time for those things which are important. How important is it that you be God's friend?