(on God's) omniscience

Merriam Webster simply defines “omniscient” as knowing everything : having unlimited understanding or knowledge.

I’m often terrified when I consider God’s omniscience. He’s all knowing. Let that sink in for a bit. Sure, it sounds nice that God knows your future – but I wrestle with how a perfect & holy God still wants me, even after that wild tantrum I just pulled or the disturbing thoughts I try to suppress. After all, He’s omniscient. He saw that. He heard that. Nothing I do, think or say remains hidden from Him, even with all my best efforts to hide the ugly parts of me.

And then there’s the crazy wonderful, incomprehensible part of it all… while knowing all the parts of me that I wish remained hidden, God still chooses me, and calls me His own. He still wants me. He still wants YOU.

The beautiful thing I’ve discovered is you can’t shock God. Nothing you will ever do, say or think surprises God. While God’s omniscience unnerves me, there’s a part of me that finds such wonderful relief & security in discovering God’s unconditional, unwarranted love for me. He knows me and still accepts me. Because of what Jesus did for me on the cross, nothing can change that.

As a Christ-follower, this also challenges me: God, while all knowing, remains all loving. Will I extend even just some of that grace and love to others? Yes, as a Christ-follower, I believe this is something God calls me to do, albeit imperfectly. After all, I am not God. I don’t have that kind of (unlimited) capacity to love. People still surprise or disappoint me at certain times. Again, I repeat, I am not God.

(here I am - literally trying to hold my breath)

Perhaps this finds you wary of what lies ahead. Shortly after our “situation” first unfolded a little over two years ago now, Nate and I were back in Hawaii to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary. We had saved and planned for this trip years in advance, wanting to go back to the place where our lives first began together. During that getaway (if I dare call it that, as I seemed to hold my breath the whole time hoping I was going to wake up from a bad dream), we attended a church service with our old church o’hana (family) at New Hope Leeward. Mike Lewin was preaching and shared out of Luke 22. He breathed life into this chapter in a way I’ve never encountered before. God’s SITTING on His throne. Do you get that?! He’s not pacing the floor, nervously. Our current situation doesn’t have Him unravelled, wondering what His next move is. He’s OMNISCIENT, after all. Will I just trust Him?

“Know this: God holds the future in His omnipotent hands. So you can rest assured.”

(Chuck Swindoll)

So my dare to you, friend is to rest assured. Rest in the fact that while God is omniscient, He loves (all of) YOU. Rest assured – even if tomorrow promises something terribly daunting – He holds your tomorrow.