Garden Friendship

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… I will cause all My goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim My name, the LORD, in your presence… But,’ He said, ‘you cannot see My face…’ (Exodus 33:17, 19-20 — NIV).

I love things that grow — flowers and, even more…

 Friendships!

And I love names — roses, daisies, peonies —  but exceedingly more…

Caryn, Lisa, Jenny…

Whether briefly over coffee or a more leisurely visit, there’s nothing quite like seeing a friend face to face. (Face-Look is so much better than Facebook!) It’s time spent together that strengthens friendship’s roots and grows the fruits of deeper trust and vulnerability, expressed in honest laughter, tears and even silence.

Friendship’s one of God’s best gifts!

Like marriage, in its purest form friendship’s the representation of a heavenly reality. We were created for a growing, intimate relationship with God, and He has placed within each of our hearts a longing for ‘fellow feeling’ — warm rapport, empathy, and love.

Because of sin, God’s plan was thwarted, and we’re left with a yearning for the Garden friendship that was our Maker’s intent.

Thus, we struggle and strain —  at times battling jealously, insecurity, and fear in our earthly friendships. The very best of them are susceptible to damage. Trust can be lost. Bitterness can take root. Even the death of some is a sad reality.

Like earthly friendships, our intimacy with God also blossoms and grows as we spend time with Him, or it suffers due to our negligence.

In just the first two books of the Bible, it’s evident that friendship as God had intended is progressively damaged — the result of sin. Many years after the Eden exodus, however, we read that He still meets with people — imperfect as they are. In fact, Exodus 24:9-11 tells us that Moses, Aaron and others —

“… saw the God of Israel… they saw God, and they ate and drank” (NIV).

But after the Israelites — bent on pleasing themselves — worshipped the golden calf and stirred the anger of ‘Jealous’ (see Exodus 34:14), we see face-to-face intimacy with God end. Though He continued to speak to Moses ‘as one speaks to a friend’ (Exodus 33:11), no one would again see God’s face and live.

Just as Adam and Eve hid from the One with whom they’d experienced Garden friendship (see Gen. 3:8-10), the LORD likewise ‘hid’ Moses in the cleft of the rock as He passed by, and Moses only saw His back…

Never again His face. 

But because of His gracious compassion, God became flesh — up-close. Personal. Yes, a friend to sinners. My friend. Your friend.

One day we, too, will see Him face to face — the ‘Rose of Sharon’…

JESUS!

Is your friendship with Jesus growing?  What are some hindrances? Pray and ask Him to reveal to you what “weeds” need to be pulled so that intimacy might flourish.