 |
| Photo Credit: Arkibong Bayan |
There is something frightening at the thought of God's omniscience. This attribute is often employed to warn people from doing bad things. Children are taught to sing: "O be careful little eyes what you see... O be careful little ears what you hear... O be careful little hands what you do... O be careful little feet where you go... O be careful little mouth what you say" for God watches from up above. Inside many public utility jeepneys, we see stickers with these words: "God knows HUDAS not pay", a reminder to passengers that even if Mamang Tsuper doesn't know, even if Mamang Konduktor doesn't know, God knows who the robbers are and he will hold them accountable for their deeds.
Is such fear healthy? I say "Yes!". We should have an awareness that God knows us exhaustively and one day we will give an account before him. "Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." (Hebrews 4:13 NIV 1984). But in this post, I will tackle some of the blessings we get from the omniscience of God on the positive side-- that is this particular attribute as a source of hope, comfort and encouragement for his children.
God's omniscience gives us hope that we will be purified.
As we turn our bibles to Psalm 139, we read that God knows the psalmist exhaustively (verse 1). Even before a word is spoken, he knows it completely (verse 4). He doesn't just know all the future days of the psalmist's life, he ordained them (verse 16). There is no place in the universe where we could hide from him (verses 7, 8, 11 & 12). The psalmist ends with a request:
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (verses 23-24)God knows us very well, even in areas where we don't know ourselves. With a desire to be purified, the psalmist earnestly asked the Lord to search him and reveal the blind spots that he may be led "in the way everlasting."
God's omniscience protects us from evil-minded men
There was an impending attack from King Saul on Keilah. David isn't sure if the people there were on his side. So he inquired of the LORD, "Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?". The LORD answered, "They will." (1 Sam. 23:12). So David and his men left Keilah and moved from place to place. In the same way, even though we don't know the evil intentions of the people around us, we are certain God knows their secret thoughts. Therefore, he knows how to rescue us from them.
Since God is omniscient, he is neither shocked nor caught surprised by anything that happens in our lives and in the world.
In Isa 46:10, YHWH declares:
I make known the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say: My purpose will stand,
and I will do all that I please.
He knows about future storms, future earthquakes, future ailments, future terrorist attacks, future famines, future persecutions, futures deaths of loved ones, etc. These things don't ruin his good plan for us, rather they are all parts of the plan-- a plan that is not for our harm but for our welfare. Whatever takes place, his promise remains intact. He causes all things to work together for the good of those whom he loves and whom he called according to his purpose (Rom.8:28)
--------------------
Recommended Books:
No comments:
Post a Comment