God knows...! ....................... Parables 083

Some friends live on an acreage outside of Fort Saskatchewan. A few weeks ago, a neighbor approached them and offered them another place to live, one that would cost him something to provide, yet would be appealing to this couple. This unusual offer puzzled them so they did not respond right away. Instead they prayed for guidance. About a week later, their landlord came and posted a FOR SALE sign on the property where they were living. Suddenly they had a problem.... but a possible solution was in place before they knew the problem existed.

This illustrates a truth about God: because of His eternal perspective, He can prepare solutions before problems become apparent.

God knew all about our lives before our lives even began. In Psalm 139, David says, “My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

One of the things that God knew about David’s life and about the life of every person, was that all would sin and fall short of His righteous standard. So God planned the solution for the problem of sin before the problem existed. Acts 2:23, Romans 8:29, Ephesians 1 and many other Scripture passages tell how God predetermined, before the foundation of the world, that His Son would come and die on the cross for the sins of His people. He did this so we, by faith, could be forgiven and receive the righteousness of Christ, thus becoming holy and blameless before Him. Sin did not catch God by surprise.

God also knows the needs of His people even before we are aware of them. Matthew 6 tells Christians to pray, but not to pray as hypocrites or pagans do, who presume God will hear them because they pray over and over. Instead, the Lord says, “Don’t be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”

God is a God who knows. He knows every time a sparrow falls to the ground; He knows the very number of hairs on our heads (Matthew 10). He knows what is in the darkness, and what is in light (Daniel 2:22). He knows the thoughts of the wise (1 Cor. 3:20) and the thoughts of the foolish (Genesis 6:5).

Jesus Christ, who is “God made flesh”, also knows. He knows our thoughts (Matt.12:25, Mark 2:8, Luke 6:8, John 2:25). He also knows our struggles - because “He was tempted in every way just as we are - yet was without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
He also knows who loves Him, “If any man loves God, the same is known of Him.” 

And He knows who are His: “God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: ‘The Lord knows those who are His’.” Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd, and I know my sheep...”

The Psalmist said that God’s knowledge is too high, too wonderful for him, beyond his comprehension. That is true, yet the knowledge of God should not cause us to back away in insecurity but to run to Him in trust, glad that He does not hold our ignorance against us.

In fact, the knowledge of God is great comfort to those who know Him. First, we can trust in the completeness of His salvation. His solution for sin is perfect. When we fall short, which we often do, we can know that God knew it before we did it, and that His Son, our Intercessor, has completely bore the guilt and paid the penalty.

We also can trust Him to faithfully lead us through life according to His great knowledge. Sometimes we do not realize our needs, but the more we become aware of them, the more we can rely on His promise to “supply all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”