RUN LIKE A CHAMPION

When life comes to an end, how would you like to be known? What legacy do you want to leave? If you could inscribe one phrase on your tombstone, what would you want to describe your life?
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 a friend of God. The Bible says, “The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend” (Exodus 33:11). 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 I seldom 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. Moses spent much time listening to God’s voice.
Many years ago while I visited 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 smiled. “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 also is a friend of God — one who has learned to listen, to communicate with God on an intimate level. The great thieves of such intimacy are a hurried schedule and vast responsibilities. Often they crowd out a deep level of communication. But Moses refused to allow that. He was an extremely busy man. He was responsible to guide and judge nearly three million people.
How could Moses fulfill his responsibilities and still have enough time to be “a friend of God?” Simple. He had a tent and pitched it outside the camp (the living area for all those multitudes). He would go there and meet with God. It was a place secluded enough for intimate conversation with the One he loved. A friend of God will find a place and a time to get alone and listen to the heart of God. He will come with a Bible in hand and spiritual ears to hear God’s voice. 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 said that the busier he became, the more he needed time to pray. Faced with heavy responsibilities and a hectic schedule, most of us have the opposite response. The first thing we do is cut out our intimate time with God. But if we truly desire to be God’s man or woman, we will realize we can’t do it without sufficient time to commune with our Father. We’ll reorder our priorities. Our friendship with God will take first place in our lives.
What legacy will we leave our children and grandchildren? That depends on what we think is important. (We always make time for what’s important.) How important to you is being God’s friend?