In an earlier article, I shared my thoughts on the God who sees. In this piece, I will like to draw your attention to the God who knows.
Being human, we are limited by the things we know. There is so much about the universe we live in that we don’t know. Netflix recently released a TV show titled, Surviving Death. I only watched the 1st episode because the other episodes seem to focus more about mediums which I don’t care about. The question scientists were asking was, ‘What happens after death? There was also the question of how people who had been certified dead were able to use their senses when science says, the brain stops functioning after death. I believe that science is only asking the question that scripture already answers for us.
Not knowing something can be quite uncomfortable and in some cases may put someone in a state of panic. Take the case of a student writing an examination and coming across a question on a subject he or she didn’t prepare for or someone having symptoms of an undiagnosed health issue. The current COVID pandemic is one area that has left scientists and medical professional with no solution regarding a cure. The only way out for now it seems, is to produce a vaccine to prevent its infection. It will take time for this vaccine to go round so for now, leaders of various countries have had to impose strict limitations on movement to curtail the spread of the virus.
We learn from the Bible that God is Omniscient, that is, He is all-knowing. I learnt that latin word Omiscient comes from two words, Omni, meaning all and scientia meaning knowledge. God has knowledge of all things past, present and future. This is why nothing catches Him by surprise and He never forgets anything that has happened in the past. No one describes God’s omniscience better than David. In one of His Psalms (Psalm 139) he penned the words;
O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.
God knows everything about you. This means He knows what you did yesterday, what you are doing now and what you will do tomorrow. This can be quite an uncomfortable thing to know from a human perspective. Imagine having a friend who knows everything about you, even the things you are thinking about that you would rather keep to yourself! It would definitely freak me out if my friend starts reeling out all the things I am thinking at that moment and things I haven’t even thought I would do the next day. Thank God that’s not the case!
When it comes to God however, one of His natures is that He is all-knowing. There is a part of that which would make one uncomfortable - in our sinful state, we would prefer to hide from God, which is a fruitless exercise, considering that no one can hide from Him. David confirms this in Psalms 139:7-8;
I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!
On the flip side, when we are faced with danger or the future looks uncertain, knowing that God knows the future produces in us the strength to trust Him to lead us through the period of uncertainty. Last year, the whole world began to journey through uncharted territory as the impact of the COVID pandemic was felt across the world. The virus was no respecter of persons. It didn’t matter whether you were black or white, rich or poor, male or female, young or old. There have been speculations regarding its origin with fingers being pointed at particular countries. We may have been caught unawares but God wasn’t. You may ask the question, if God know there was going to be a pandemic, why didn’t he prevent it?
Most of what man is facing in the world today is a direct consequence of our sinful state. Unfortunately, we are all vulnerable to these consequences whether we are Christians or not. The good news however is that God is also a merciful God. Even with the COVID infection rates soaring into millions, there are people who are recovering. So much emphasis is placed on those in hospitals and those dying that not much is highlighted about those recovering.
One other thing I would like to highlight here is that God chooses who and when to reveal knowledge of things hidden from man. Take the case of Sodom and Gomorrah in the bible. This was a sinful country and judgement had been passed for its destruction. Unfortunately, Lot, Abrahams nephew, lived in that country. In Genesis 18:17, we read about God having a conversation with Himself, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.” (Genesis 18:17-19)
As a Church and as individuals, our desire should be to be so close to God that we find ourselves in a place where He shares hidden knowledge with us. God’s purpose for sharing this knowledge is not so that we become puffed up or flaunt that knowledge but rather, so that we use that knowledge to spread His truth to the world around us.
When God decided to share the knowledge of the impending destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah with Abraham, it was for a reason. He knew Abraham would please for the rescue of his nephew and also ensure that he commanded his children to keep the way of the Lord.
Let the thought that God knows all about you fill you with faith and not fear. Let is fill you with hope and not hopelessness, let it feel you with encouragement instead of discouragement so that those around you will know that you server the God who is all-knowing.
