Reverence.

God has many characteristics that we find highlighted in the Bible; He's a friend, father, counsellor, defender, provider, guide, healer, etc. He is indeed all of these but there is one characteristic that, due to the immediacy of God in the Christian faith through Jesus Christ, we occasionally [and dangerously] over look; God is holy [pure, good, complete righteousness].

At one of the fusion prayer days I recall popping out briefly. When I returned I found the three or four people there beaming with puzzled and excited expressions on their faces. While they were all praying at separate locations in the church they were all suddenly aware of God's holy presence; it was as though He had suddenly turned up in person. They all found themselves face down unable and not daring to move! It was like nothing any of them had experienced before even though there was a pastor, assistant pastor and youth leader among them.

As Christians we are [correctly] encouraged to develop an intimacy in our relationship with God. On the whole [while we often fail in our pursuit of this] it is a concept that we are comfortable with. We therefore find it hard to reconcile God as being both holy and friendly; it seems too much like a dichotomy. How do/can they go together?

But they do. This is the mystery of our relationship with God.
This mystery is amazingly described in this passage from Exodus. Read it carefully trying not to misread what is in front of you [which I have done on plenty of occasions].

Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the 'tent of meeting.' Anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp... As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the LORD spoke with Moses... The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent. Ex 33:7, 9, 11

This scene is intrinsically infused with God's holiness and friendliness [and in Old Testament times too - doesn't God know the rules!!!] but not in the way that I thought.
Every time I read this passage I would pick up on the characters involved (God & Moses) and what happened between them (chatting like mates) and I would be amazed [and jealous]. But that is not what happens!
Something even more amazing and reassuring [on several levels] happens.

To begin with Moses heads off to be alone with God. When in the tent of meeting God's presence suddenly descends. I used to imagine that this had no effect on Moses, but I now realise that it did. On many other occasions Moses is seen to argue with and rant at God, and God is graciously tolerant. Here however God inhabits this mobile temple with His holy presence and all of a sudden Moses can't argue; he can't even say a thing!
This account tells us that it is God who does all the talking, He is speaking to Moses [Moses is listening in eagerly obedient awe - another lessen for our prayer times which often end when we finish talking]. In God's complete holiness, which has left Moses on his face, God speaks with Him not like the holy almighty Creator that He is, but like a friend!

Think about it; out of God's holiness comes friendship! Friendship with us in our incompatible brokenness. It's nearly too much to comprehend!