Further musings on His omniscience

There has to be more to omniscience than just knowing that He knows everything. I know there is more applicability to my life than mere knowledge of one of His attributes. So what? Why is it so important that He knows everything? For one, I don't have to worry about how I approach Him from the standpoint of trying to manipulate Him. When I think of the one thing that will make everything better I always come up with money. It's money that makes the world go around; its what gets me into the restaurants I want to visit; it pays for that bottle of fine wine; it gives me a sense of control and safety. That said, I know that to ask Him for money beyond my daily bread is a misuse of my relationship with Him. Instead I ask Him for wisdom because I can in turn use that wisdom to do well at work and get the money that my flesh wants. I will still do this even after reading that Jesus “knew what they were thinking.” How dumb do I have to be to try and manipulate Him and how much time am I going to waste trying to find ways to outsmart Him to get what I really want?

He knows my thoughts: on the one hand that's reassuring as to the greatness of my God, on the other hand it scares me to death because I know the kind of thoughts that travel through my mind. I have often taken a time out from reality and spent time in my mind imagining things as they could be, or more darkly, things as they not ought be but which in my flesh seem appealing. If then my Savior knows my thoughts is there not to be more attention paid to what I originate, and subsequently meditate, in my mind? I know that I entertain thoughts and fantasies much longer than the temptation stage. I've heard it said like this, “The first look is on God, the second look is on me.” I don't sin outside of His knowledge of what I'm doing. This propositional truth does not always hinder my sinful nature as I believe it ought.

I don't know if you've ever experienced this, but I can remember a number of times watching movies with my parents and either the language was a bit off or there was one of “those scenes” that I really didn't want to be watching with my folks. I can remember that embarrassed discomfort that made me want to disappear from view; much like the Southwest Airlines advertisement, “Want to get away?” My point is when I am aware of another who can hold me accountable for my thoughts and what I'm doing, I am more apt to have a heightened awareness of my actions. You've seen signs for “Speed Zone Ahead” which make us look at the speedometer more closely. You're playing solitaire at work and the boss walks through...okay, enough beating of the dead horse.

Do we have that same kind of appreciation for His knowledge of what we do and think about? I cannot escape from Him knowing everything I say and do. He knows when I'm short with my children, when I use the “fer” word (ask one of my children what that means), when I take the 2^nd look, when I covet others' possessions and denigrate His grace and mercy to me. The list goes on and on, and still I don't act as if He's sitting right here with me. There is plenty of “deeper theological” truth to His knowledge, namely propositional, experiential, or procedural knowledge. We've already touched on His propositional knowledge, His all encompassing, nothing that is known is not known to Him. We've touched on His experiential knowledge through the incarnation of His Son. By virtue of the first two types of knowledge, there is little debate about His knowledge of how to do anything (procedural). And as deep and thought provoking as that discussion could be, the idea that He knows me in the midst of all knowledge is humbling, awe inspiring, scary, and wonderful all at the same time.

That brings me to you. He knows you. He knows what you think about, what you do, what you're going to do and what you're going to think about. That part of you which thinks its acting or behaving in secret is laid bare before Him. The scary part is that the Lord of the universe who made you has the opportunity to not be very thrilled with what you're doing. Like His question to Adam after he fall, “Where are you?” He asks the same of you and me. His knowledge of what you're doing, what you're thinking, does not immediately give rise to His anger but instead the love of the shepherd who left the 99 to find the one. He knows the hurt, pain, and effect of the fall that drives you to think and act like you do. He made you and designed You for Him, not for those other false gods that cannot deliver like He can. For everything you're trying to fix, salve, or improve through your thoughts and actions which are not in line with His will, just know that because He does know all He knows what will give you the solace you need. You'll find its “just” Him.

Dear Lord, thank you for this morning. I again ask that if I have in anyway not faithfully represented Your word that You would convict our hearts by Your Spirit and take us to Your word for correction. I love you Father. In Jesus' name, amen.