God is Omniscient

November 28, 2010

Background Scripture: Psalm 139
Lesson Passage: Psalm 139:1 – 6; 13 – 16, 23, 24

There are those who are familiar with us as friends. They tend to know our likes and dislikes. This could include things such as foods, colors, clothes, or even types of vehicles. They know if we like to exercise or just go for a brisk walk. On the other hand, there is family who know us more intimately. They know what hurts us and what makes us happy. They can determine our disposition by simply reading our body language. Whether we are worried, scared, overly confident, or just plain naïve, our family members know us all too well. Even within families there are different levels of interpersonal knowledge. There are relationships between parents and children, between siblings, and between spouses—not to mention cousins, uncles, aunts, grandparents, etc. There are many people who know us on some level, however, none of them know all there is to know about us. Our friends know us differently than our families or spouses. It seems next to impossible to be seen in the same light by all who know us. The bottom line is that although many may know something about us, there is no person who knows everything there is to know about us. This fact is often to our detriment. Many times we wish that someone could know us as well as others in a particular area of concern. We often feel misunderstood because of this. When we hurt, we can’t just arbitrarily turn to anyone who may happen to know something about us. They may not know us on an emotional level nor might they care to know us on that level. When we are wrestling with major life decisions, we are very judicious to whom we turn to confide in or seek advice. We can see in this that to know and to be known is very important to relationships. Quality relationships are very important to living a balanced and wholesome life. We work hard to build and sustain many wholesome relationships to improve the quality of our lives.

In Psalm 139, David lets us know that there is one relationship that satisfies the need of all of them. God reveals enough of himself to those that seek him that we may know him. On the other hand, he knows all there is to know about us. When we add up everything that others know about us, it is still less than what God knows about us. God knows everything. God knows who I am. He knows my activities and my habits. God knows my thoughts and my speech. God didn’t just learn this by watching me. He knew me before I was born. It is not just those observable things that others can learn about me. God knows my innermost person that others cannot observe. God knows me through and through. I can turn to him for anything and never have to worry about surprising him. When I pray for a blessing, I don’t have to specify size, type, color, fashion, or any other personal taste I might have for he already knows it. In fact, God knows things about me that I have not yet discovered about myself. He knows what I like and dislike although I have not yet experienced it. He has created me such that I cannot truly know myself until I first come into a relationship with him. It seems that I am constantly discovering new things about myself as I seek to strengthen my relationship with him. Indeed I am fearfully and wonderfully made but I cannot discover the depths of that until I seek God first. There is nothing that can be known about me that God does not already know perfectly. God is truly all knowing. God is omniscient.

Robert C. Hudson
November 19, 2010