The wonder of God is something to behold! In our time frame and dimension, we can’t – except superficially. We can only see glimpses of Him, and understand Him partially. Like Paul said:
But the time is coming when we shall see Him face to face (1 Cor 13:12b). We must prepare now for that time which will come to all of us. For we must all stand before the judgement seat of God (Rom 14:10).
But for now, as Paul said:
God knows you fully and completely. Not only does God know every single person on earth, He knows every hair on their head, every cell in their body, and every thought in their mind. That is something you cannot understand, because your knowledge is finite. God’s is infinite! God is omniscient – ALL-knowing! God’s abilities are astronomical! Consider this:
Do you realise how many stars there are? Our own galaxy, the Milky Way (which is only one of who knows how many galaxies?), has between 200 billion and 400 billion stars! The distance across our galaxy is... wait for it... 885,000,000,000,000,000 miles. If someone tried to count every star that is known at the rate of three stars per second, they would have reached less than 5 per cent of the total after 100 years! This gives us a glimpse into the awesome mind of God! But even so, we are dumbfounded! We are only looking at puzzling reflections in a mirror. Here’s something else you can’t get your mind around, about God. He knows what people will think, before they think it.
Those words are carefully chosen, deliberate and true. Every day of your life on earth has been planned beforehand. Yes, all the troubles, disasters, sufferings, joys, delights and pleasures experienced during those years, God knows beforehand. How can He know that, when you are a free moral agent, able to make your own choices and decisions? Because He knows your motivation. He knows what you will do before you choose to do it. He gives you the choice to become like Him, or to resist Him and do what you want instead. David, who wrote Psalm 139, dared to pray:
Not many dare God in that department, because their motives are not pure like David’s were. If you ask God to show you your inner motives (your heart), be prepared for some shocks! Don’t expect nice platitudes and sweet compliments. I know a man who asked that of God. When God answered, he couldn’t take it. He shut his ears.
Indeed, His greatness is beyond our understanding! You have about 100,000 hairs on your head, yet He has them all counted (Matt 10:30). Don’t ask me how many cells are in your body. He knows them too. He created the cell, with its mitochondria, ribosomes, nucleotides, and minute intricacies. He made the DNA helix, storing the characteristics of each organism in its seed to pass them on to the next generation. How does that tiny invisible speck of living matter generate the process that forms the being? Only God knows. The secrets of life are a mystery to science. Scientists tend to make a big noise about what they know, but what they don’t know is infinitely vast by comparison!
It’s not something you or I can explain any more than that! It’s indescribable how God did it! How foolish for men to think that such massive planets, stars, solar systems and galaxies just came from somewhere without forethought or planning, and that all the complexities of the human mind ‘evolved’!! Such a theory is madness! It takes energy to produce anything of worth. A mind that thinks it doesn’t isn’t worth much at all! But God, by comparison, is worth everything! But for Him, nothing would exist! If it wasn’t for His plans, you and I would have no purpose. However:
God had a plan with Israel. He decimated the world power of Egypt by ten plagues to bring Israel out (Ex 1-10). He parted the Red Sea in a dramatic display of awesome power (Ex 13:17-15:21), healed bitter water (Ex 15:26), provided bread supernaturally (Ex 16), thundered His Ten Commandments from Sinai which quaked and burned with fire, terrifying the Israelites (Ex 19), split solid rock to provide water in the parched desert (Ex 17:1-6; Num 20:8-11), killed the hostile Amalekites who wanted Israel obliterated (Ex 17:8-13), spoke to Moses face to face, manifested in a pillar of cloud (Ex 13:21; 33:9), engraved the Ten Commandments in rock with His own hand (Ex 34), burned with supernatural fire Aaron’s offering (Lev 9:23,24), but destroyed the rebels among them by fire and plague (Num 11; 12; 14), the earth opening up and swallowing Korah, Dathan and Abiram (Num 16). That awesome display of miraculous power accompanied Israel because of God’s purpose – to demonstrate His faithfulness, and desire for Israel’s righteousness – a holiness she consistently defiled. God’s power is not withheld today. He is all-powerful and continually demonstrates it to the needy where there is faith and desire for His truth and purity. He heals the sick, raises the dead, and delivers from demonic oppressions through the power of His Spirit (Mark 5; Luke 10:17; Acts 2:43; 3:1-8, etc.). He releases from prison (Acts 12:5-11), strikes blasphemers dead at times (Acts 12:23) and performs many other wonders to the glory of His name. No one can withstand His purpose. Those who defy Him do not do so for long. Only God is all-powerful. Satan and demons have infinitesimally less by comparison. And Jesus, who never sinned, by so doing, qualified to hold all power. After He rose from the dead He declared:
He is:
The qualities of omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence are unique to God. Because He is Spirit, part of Him can be everywhere, if He chooses. That is surely the most baffling concept to our minds! We may be able to mentally accept that He is all-powerful and all-knowing, but... everywhere present – well, that blows the mind! Because He has this quality, He knows all things and can help you in your every situation. Jesus’ last words to us were these words of encouragement:
If you believe it, you can receive. He speaks via His Spirit to your spirit, if you are on His ‘wavelength’ – in other words, if you care about the things He cares about – holiness and truth. Jesus said of His sheep, that they hear His voice (Jn 10:3,16,27).
There is another ‘omniqualilty’ of God, besides the three mentioned. God is all-loving!
YOU can believe in Him. YOU can share His wisdom, His knowledge, His power and His love. It’s all according to His purpose, not yours or mine. As we get in line with His will, we see some of the power and glory of God displayed. We shall speak of the glory of His kingdom and talk of His power! (Ps 145:11.)
Malcolm B Heap, February 2008 |
Copyright: Midnight Ministries, PO
Box 29, Aylesbury, HP17 8TL, UK
www.midnightministries.org.uk