August 2011

Have you ever stopped to consider everything that the God of heaven knows? Time and again in the Bible we read about His marvelous knowledge. It amazes us and causes us to be in awe of Him.

The Bible declares that “God is greater than our heart, and knows all things” (1 John 3:20). The Psalmist also pointed to the Lord’s unlimited knowledge: “Great is our LORD, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite” (Psalm 147:5). In our arrogance, we may sometimes boast of our knowledge. When we do that, we must sound so foolish to the One that created us, as the level of our knowledge is microscopic to the n^th power in comparison to what the Almighty knows!

God’s knowledge of all things includes the activities of the past, present, and future. Since God knows how this world came into existence, let us take His word for it. Men may argue with what God tells us in Genesis 1, they may scoff at it, they may try to block it out of their minds, or they may try to hinder others from accepting it, but God’s truth still stands: “. . . He who built all things is God” (Hebrews 3:4). The Godhead, and only the Godhead, was present at the time this world came into being. Wise men and women accept what God tells us about the earth’s beginning because He knows exactly what took place.

God knows everything that is happening at the present hour, too. How silly the prophet Jonah was for thinking that he could flee “from the presence of the LORD” (Jonah 1:3). No one can do that, my friend! We might be able to hide some things that we do from some people part of the time, but we can never hide anything from the all-seeing eyes of our Lord: “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him who whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13). Even as you are reading this sentence, God sees every action of every human everywhere in the universe, whether it be good of bad. The Bible says that He will judge each of us for “every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14).

God’s knowledge of the future is equally unlimited. That is why He could foretell the names of future kings (such as Cyrus, Isaiah 44:28) and amazing future events (such as the virgin giving birth to the Christ, Isaiah 7:14). Note this, however. While it is true that God knows in advance what will happen, His knowledge does not violate or hinder humans’ freedom of choice. Humans make their own decisions. God knows in advance what those choices will be, and He may or may not approve of them, but He never overrides people’s freedom to make them.

Consider another aspect of God’s knowledge as it relates to our service to Him. God knows just what humans need for their spiritual well-being. He charged the Israelites, “And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may be well with you . . .” (Deuteronomy 6:18). God knows what is best for us. People may think that their way is right, they may feel that their path is a good one, and they may be committed to what their heart tells them is the way to go, but in reality, “. . . the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). The truth is, God, and God alone, knows what is best for us. He knows exactly what we need in the spiritual realm.

God not only knows what information is needed for our spiritual education and edification; He also knows how to communicate that to mankind. Men are often critical of the Bible, faulting it for not containing information about certain topics that they think it should include. Are there some subjects about which we would like to know more? Of course, but we must never doubt God or His word simply because the Bible does not give us details about a particular topic. God has never promised to satisfy man’s curiosity about everything under the sun. What God has done is give us His word to be a light for our paths (Psalm 119:105). That word “is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16,17).

The Lord also “knows those who are His” (2 Timothy 2:19). And, when His children struggle or are hurting, He knows that, too. He not only knows about our trials, but He cares. So what does He tell us to do? “Cast(ing) all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

God knows. He knows all that happens, He knows what we need, and He knows what we face in life. Let us commit our souls to Him (1 Peter 4:19).

— Roger D. Campbell