Think of the smartest person you’ve ever met, someone who just seems to know everything. Compared to God, even the greatest genius on Earth would seem as dumb as a rock! Earth’s biggest brainiacs know a lot of things, but God? He knows everything there is to know! There’s not a test in the universe that our all-knowing God wouldn’t get an A+ on! But God’s incredible understanding goes far beyond the things you study in school.

Psalm 139:1-4 tells us that God knows everything we do: “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.”

God knows what we ate for breakfast. He knows what time we brushed our teeth before bedtime. And he knows every single thing we did in between, even that sneaky thing you did when you thought no one was watching! He knows what you’re thinking about when you’re supposed to be paying attention in class. He can even tell you what you are about to say even before you say it! And as for our futures, God knows every last detail of our lives, including who you’re going to marry and the names of your seven precious children! God even knows the three secret words I’ve written upside down on page 184!

We have a fancy word to describe our all-knowing God: omniscient. If you remember, omni means “all.” And “scient” comes from the same word we use for “science.” It means “knowing.” When we call God omniscient, we’re saying that God is all-knowing. He understands everything there is to know: everything from the past, everything from right now, and everything that will happen in the future. Those car keys that my wife lost ten years ago and we never found? He knows exactly where they are!

There’s not a single secret we can keep from God. He knows everything about us – including all the worst bits! That can be a scary thought. How could someone who knows all of our dirty secrets (even the ones from our futures!) possibly still love us? But here’s the good news – God knows all those things, and he still loves us anyway! We should be thankful that our omniscient, all-knowing God is also a loving and forgiving God! 

1 Chron. 28:9; 2 Chron. 16:9; Luke 12:6, 7; Rom. 2:16