Earthly Eyes or
Heavenly Vision?

This week’s topic is God’s omniscience. Simply stated, it means God knows everything about everyone and everything—including the past, present, and future. That may sound like a simple truth, but consider how important it is and how difficult it is for us to comprehend. We might try to relate it to human knowledge, perhaps thinking about highly intelligent people, as John Piper discusses in the short video in the Additional Resources section. Or we might consider the enormous amount of information stored electronically about history, events, people, and just about everything else. But neither human
intelligence nor the vastness of information available through technology comes anywhere close to God's perfect and complete knowledge. He doesn't simply know more than we do. His knowledge is unlimited, perfect, complete -- and always has been. He is not learning as we go.

In Matthew 10:29–30, Jesus reminds us that God knows even the smallest details of His creation:

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground
apart from your Father. 30But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.”
-- Matthew 10:29-30

Think about that! God knows when a sparrow falls, and He knows the number of hairs on our heads. Nothing is too small or insignificant to be outside His knowledge. But God's knowledge goes far beyond knowing the details of creation. Psalm 139:2–6 tells us that He knows our thoughts, our actions, and even the words we are about to speak:

“You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 3You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. 5You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.” – Psalm 139:2-6

David's response in verse 6 is worth pausing over: "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it." David recognized that God's knowledge was beyond his ability to comprehend. Perhaps that is exactly where we should find ourselves, too—not trying to explain the enormity of God's knowledge but standing in awe of it. As we stand in awe of God’s knowledge, we will also see how His perfect knowledge works hand in hand with His other attributes. God's love is never uninformed. His wisdom is never based on incomplete knowledge. His power is never exercised without perfect understanding.

Nothing ever surprises God. He never has to change His plans because He received new information or discovered something He didn't anticipate. He knows every detail of our circumstances, every decision we will make, and every consequence that will follow. God also knows how every decision we make will impact others.

Think about what that means personally. God knows every thought, every failure, every weakness, and every hidden part of us—and He still loves us. His love isn't based on a limited understanding of who we are. We worship a God who doesn’t just know a lot, but whose knowledge has no limits, whose wisdom is perfect, and whose love for us is never based on incomplete understanding.

Personal Reflection

• Does God’s knowledge evoke comfort and impact my perspective on other aspects of God’s character?

• At this moment, am I secure that God knows all (past, present and future) and is never surprised by anything that occurs?