"I'll Be Your BEST Friend!"

Have you ever heard 'kids' say this to each other?
"If you'll share that with me I'll be your BEST friend."

It sounds so touching and the purity of heart behind it is evident...
I'm reminded of this when I read today's devotion from the 'Purpose Driven Life' by Rick Warren when he talks about 'Becoming 'BEST FRIENDS ' with God.
God wants to be your....and my.....BEST friend.
This truth is spoken over and over throughout the entire Bible.
Jesus, Himself, made it possible for us to be FRIENDS with God...
(Jesus said in John 14:6....
"I Am the way - the Truth - and the Life.
No one can get to the Father EXCEPT by Me.")
It is difficult to image how such an intimate friendship is possible between an omnipotent, invisible, perfect God and a finite, whiny, flawed, rebellious, 'my way' human being
like you and I.
It is much easier to understand a Master-servant relationship
or a Creator-creation relationship
or even Father-child.
But what does it mean when God wants me...and you as a friend?
Just like we must spend time, alone, with another person in order to really get to know them intimately....so it is true with God...
When we 'draw close' to God, God will 'draw close' to us. (James 4:8)
Conversation flows on both sides as 'friends' get to know each other....we call our end 'prayers' but to me it is not really a ritual word description but more like talking to someone that loves me, cares for me despite my flaws...and He does talk back!
First, the Bible is full of 'his words' but on a more intimate level upon reading these words, they become alive and relevant when He is intimately present in my heart and mind.
His Spirit within me...or you....laser beams truth as it is being read from HIS Word...
(I call my Bible my FAX machine....)
He actually 'talks' to us....for instance recently I was seeking an answer to a specific goal or plan that was known only in my own mind....
Lo and behold, that day I 'just happened' to read in my Living Bible Psalm 119:130 as it said,
"As Your plan unfolds, even the simple can understand it!"
I burst out laughing for my 'friend' had amusingly reminded me that HE knew and was in the midst of 'my secret plan'...in fact, it was HE who placed the idea, the desire there to begin with!
This verified that 'his plan' was so simple that even I 'the big-dummy' could understand it.
Guess what I felt after this 'conversation' with my BEST friend?
Joy, Relief and....Peace.
Yet I would like to say....in this kind of friendship/relationship with God...
....God doesn't expect you or me to be perfect, but He does insist on...complete honesty!
He knows the truth of our life, our being.... good, bad or ugly, anyway so the honesty is for our sake in order to be REAL....genuine.
Now we have the makings of a 'great' friendship that will give life long pleasure to both persons.
Knowing and loving God is our greatest privilege,
and being known and loved....is God's greatest pleasure!
In fact God speaks this in His Word in Jeremiah 9:24 saying,
"If anyone wants to boast, they should boast that they know and understand me...
These are the things that please Me."
Being BEST friends with God....pleases HIM....