#6 - Omniscient

Have you ever met a know-it-all?  The type of people who always seem to have an answer for everything, know everything, and use every moment to share their all-encompassing knowledge base.  I think everyone has brushed shoulders with one of these individuals.  Maybe they’re your acquaintance, friend, or even family member.  The thing about know-it-alls is that very few people like to be around them.  Why, because they radiate an air of over-confidence, arrogance, and an “I’m better than you” attitude. And the most annoying thing about this mindset is that everyone knows that they don’t know-it-all!  Nobody knows everything; therefore, a know-it-all attitude is really only built pride, boasting, and hypocrisy rather than actual knowledge.  And this mentality is what grates on people most.  Therefore, may we not become know-it-alls!          

I share all this to point out that people—sinful and human—attempt to wear an air of supreme knowledge when in fact only One deserves that title—God Almighty.  So for this study of Who is God?, we’re going to explore this characteristic of God:  that He is OMNISCIENT.  

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​Omniscient.  That’s a pretty big word, and one not in the average, everyday vocabulary.  So let’s break this word down.  Omnis is a Latin root meaning “all”, and scire also comes from the Latin meaning “to know”.  Putting the two words together we get omniscient or “all knowing”.  No one else can truly claim omniscience because humans are finite beings, unable to grasp and comprehend, let alone remember all there is to know.  Therefore, God alone is all-knowing.  But how does this attribute of God affect us?

God’s omniscience means that He sees everything, and all people.  ​Therefore, nothing is hidden from His sight.  The inner most thoughts and secrets of our hearts are laid bare before God.

“For he looks to the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens.”
~Job 28:24
 
“The LORD looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man.”
~Psalm 33:1

“Would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart.”
~Psalm 44:21
 
“He reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness...”
~Daniel 2:22

​So the hypocrite might think, “No one knows that I’m merely putting on a front of godliness or Christianity, but I really could care less about all of it.”  Or the rebellious teenager might tell himself, “No one will see or know.”  Yet God always knows these secret and hidden intentions of the heart, and nothing is concealed from His omniscience. 
 
But God’s omniscience isn’t merely a 24/7 roving police force seeking to catch and reveal people in sin.  No!  God isn’t out to bust us, nor does He wave His omniscience as a menacing threat over us.  Rather, He tells us that He knows and sees all things so that we can understand that nothing is hidden from His sight and therefore, when we try to “secretly” sin against Him, God knows and it breaks His heart.  Another reason God reminds us of His omniscience is so that we can be encouraged knowing that God sees all the world’s wickedness and will not let them go unpunished.  

“they have committed adultery with their neighbors’ wives, and they have spoken in my name lying words that I did not command them. I am the one who knows, and I am witness, declares the LORD."

​So take heart and remember that God knows and sees all things, both in your life and in the lives of those around you, and He will hold each accountable for every single deed, whether good or evil.
 
Another encouraging application of the omniscience of God is that no matter how obscure or unknown you may feel, God knows you.  He knows everything about you; from the day you were conceived to the day that you will die, where you live, who your parents are, all the intricate workings of your mind and heart, everything.  Because God is omniscient, it means that He knows more about you than you do!   Scripture says that God has counted the grains of sand on the seashore, calls the stars out one by one and names them, and has even numbered the hairs on your head!  This God, who knows the amount of sand on the seashore and names of all the stars, cares about and is familiar with every little detail of your life and my life.  God also knows all your needs, as Jesus told us in Matthew 6:8, 

“your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

​So don’t worry about the big exam coming up or the bills that need to be paid, because God knows all about it.  He is thoroughly acquainted with the size of our bank account or the stressful things in our lives, and is aware of all that we’re going through whether it be peer pressure, antagonistic teachers or fellow students, financial hardship, physical affliction, family conflict, marriage issues, difficult co-workers, or stressful job situations.  God knows every detail, is completely familiar with all the people involved, and how everything will work out.  He knows what we have need of and when we need it.  If a sparrow cannot fall without His notice, then how can we, who are of much more value than a sparrow, navigate life in this fallen world without His full attention?  So rejoice today in the knowledge, understanding, and application that God is OMNISCIENT!

“He knows, He knows
Let your burdens come undone
Lift your eyes up to the One
Who knows...”
~Jeremy Camp, “He Knows"