Mar 14 - God is All Knowing

Read Matthew 6:1-7, 16-18

Context: Approximately the center of the Sermon on the Mount

Text:
1"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
2"So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
5"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.


16"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (NIV)

www.biblegateway.com

When I think of God's omniscience, I am both comforted and terrified! God knows what I want and need long before I do, and I am constantly amazed at the wonderful way things play out. He sets plans in motion so that I can receive his gifts, sometimes years before I have a clue that I have a need or desire.

The other side of that coin, however, is that he knows everything -- in fact he knows
my thoughts before I think them. He knows when I will sin, when I do sin, and when I haven't asked for forgiveness. My prayer is that he, knowing all this, sets plans in motion that will help me avoid the times that I give in to temptation!

Maybe that's why things don't work out the way I want at times when it seems like they should...he's protecting me from myself in some way that I can't even comprehend. I hope I remember that in times of disappointment.