Questions are powerful parts of language. You can change the course of conversation, start a conversation, or terminate a conversation with a question. They carry influence and often prove a little scary.
Consider these two: Who will go for us? Who do you say that I am?
One asked by God to Isaiah the prophet (Isa. 6). One asked by God to His followers (Mark 8).
It's been my experience in relationship with God as well as student of the Scriptures that He asks questions when He wants me to think about something, to search my heart, to reveal something about Himself to me or about me to me. His searchlight gets turned onto my life or circumstance and I get to see what He sees or see something how He sees it.
I compare that to the times when I've heard God's command. I hear them often through the Scriptures and have a heard something direct and personal a few times. But none of those have ever sounded like questions. They sound like commands, orders, mandates.
His questions are invitations. His commands are directives.
His questions can be direction-oriented, but seem to always be revelation. His commands are most often direction-oriented, and demand my submission.
What's true about both: they are equal parts of my relationship to the God of the Universe. What an incredible God that I am brought into relationship with Him that He never finds boring and in which He's never too busy to talk about life.
But that's just me thinking thoughts...
And a big post-script: thanks for reading. 150 posts has required a lot of time and thought, so I wanted to say I'm grateful for anyone who honors me by reading.
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