Finding Comfort in God’s Wisdom and Omniscience
There are a lot of things in this world that I don’t understand. Just this week, I learned that a member of our church lost their six your old niece. My heart aches for them. I don’t understand why this happened, and that makes it even more difficult.
You’ve been there too. We all have. Maybe you are even there right now. It’s so hard.
When I’m faced with things like this, I try to remind myself of God’s attributes.
When we look at God as He is revealed in the Bible, we see that He has many attributes: Goodness, love, mercy, holiness, immutability, transcendence, immanence, self-existence, eternality, omnipotence, omnipresence, sovereignty, etc.
All of these attributes give me comfort in one way or another, but I want to highlight two that I did not mention and discuss why they matter.
GOD'S OMNISCIENCE
What Does Omniscience Mean?
"Omni" comes from the Latin word "omnis" meaning "all," and "science" here comes from the Latin word "Scientia" meaning "knowledge." So "omniscience" means that God has all knowledge—God knows all things.
As 1 John 3:20 states: "If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything."
Paul Enns in the Moody Handbook of Theology defines it this way:
God knows all things actual and possible, past, present, and future, in one eternal act.
Aspects of God's Omniscience
1. God Knows Everything Happening on Earth
Jesus says in Matthew 10:29-30: "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered."
Think about how many sparrows there are in our world, and this is saying that God is aware of every one of them and what is always going on with each of them!
And not just that, Jesus says that God knows how many hair follicles are on each and every single person’s head! There are seven billion people on our planet and God knows the number of hairs on each of their heads!
God knows everything that is always going on throughout our world. And that includes you. God knows what is going on in your life at all times. You are not alone.
2. God Knows Secret Thoughts
Psalm 44:21 tells us: "Would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart?"
Hebrews 4:13 further emphasizes: "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."
Sometimes it can feel like no one really understands us and what we are going through, but God does.
When it feels like you are invisible and no one gets you, know that God sees you and understands you. And no matter what He sees or knows about you, He loves you!
You can doubt His goodness because of what is going on in your life, and He still loves you.
3. God Knows the Future
Isaiah 46:9-10 proclaims: "Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come."
To us the future is so uncertain at times and can bring us a lot of anxiety, stress, and worry. But God sits above it all, and He knows the future.
Not only that, but as a sovereign God, He is moving things forward in ways that He works for our good and His glory.
4. God Knows What Would Happen Under Different Circumstances
In Matthew 11:21, Jesus demonstrates this knowledge: "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes."
God knows what would have been different in any situation of our own lives or in the course of the world if we or others had made a different decision.
Wow, do you see the number of possibilities that this could be from every person throughout all of history? And God knows them all! Do you start to see how much knowledge He has? It’s unfathomable!
But even with all of that knowledge, God is still able to take all of those choices that we would make and still move the world and our lives forward in some way according to His plan, His glory, and for our goodness!
And that is because of His wisdom…
The Wisdom of God
God is not just all-knowing, but He is all-wise.
Romans 11:33-34 declares: "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! 'Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?'"
Defining God's Wisdom
Wisdom refers to the way someone uses knowledge. I don’t know about you, but I’ve seen a lot of smart people in our world make some really terrible decisions! But not God!
Charles Ryrie describes God's wisdom this way: "The wisdom of God tells us that God will bring about the best possible results, by the best possible means, for the most possible people for the longest possible time."
I’ve seen a lot of suffering in our world, and so have you. But you and I don’t know what would have happened if things had happened differently.
I hate to see suffering in our world, but it brings me great comfort that a sovereign God has all the knowledge needed and all the wisdom to be able to take that knowledge and use it to somehow work for our good.
Even Joseph realized this after suffering for years because of a decision his brothers made. He says this in Genesis 50:19-20:
19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
Practical Applications
1. Trust in God's Plan
God is sovereign, and because He is all-knowing and all-wise, we can rest in whatever situation or circumstances we find ourselves in.
We can trust that He is acting out of His love and goodness for us and the people of this world, as well as for His glory.
2. Access to God's Wisdom
God shares His knowledge and wisdom with us as we walk through this life with Him.
As 1 Corinthians 2:15-16 states: "The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, 'Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?' But we have the mind of Christ."
Jesus gives us knowledge and wisdom to be able to make judgements about where we are at in life, where we are going, what to do in certain situations.
When you don’t know what to do in your life, God does!
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."
(Proverbs 3:5-6)
In this classic and timeless one-volume resource, Paul Enns offers a comprehensive overview of the five dimensions of theology: biblical, systematic, historical, dogmatic, and contemporary. Each section includes an introduction, chapters on key points, specific studies pertinent to that theology, books for further study, and summary evaluations of each dimension. Charts, graphs, glossary, and indexes add depth and breadth.
Theology, once the domain of academicians and learned pastors, is now accessible to anyone interested in understanding the essentials of what Christians believe. The Moody Handbook of Theology is a concise doctrinal reference tool for newcomers and seasoned veterans alike.
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