The God Who Knows
2 Samuel 7:18–29
And what more can David say to you? For you know your servant, O Lord God! 2 Samuel 7:20

Because God knows all things, he knows the worst about us and yet has loved us and saved us. In human relationships we often fear that something in us might come to light to break the relationship. Otherwise why would we be so careful to put on our best face with other people? But God already knows the worst about us and nevertheless continues to demonstrate his love. He “knows our frame” and “remembers that we are dust” (Ps. 103:14). We needn’t fear that something within us will rise up to startle God, that some forgotten skeleton will come tumbling out of our closet to expose our shameful past, or that some informer will speak out against us to bring shame. Nothing can happen that isn’t already known to God.

Not only does God know the worst about us, he also knows the best about us, even though that best may be unknown to any other person. There are times in our lives when we do very well at something and yet find that we go unnoticed. Or we do as well as we possibly can but we fail. What we have done is therefore misinterpreted. There is comfort in knowing that God, who knows all things, also knows us and knows that we really did do the best of which we were capable. And he does not judge us. He does not condemn us.

God knows what he is going to make of us. He knows the end we have been made for and he is most certainly going to bring us to it in his own proper time. That end is spelled out in Romans 8:29. “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” God is determined to make us like Jesus Christ.

We get discouraged in the Christian life, and with good cause. We take a step forward and fall half a step back. We succeed once but then we fail twice. We overcome temptation but we also fall in temptation, sometimes over and over again. We say, “Oh, I’m not making progress at all. I’m doing worse this year than last year. God must be discouraged with me.” But God is not discouraged with us. That is the point. God knows everything. So while it is true that he is fully aware of our failures and victories, few as the victories may be, he is also aware of far more than that. He is aware of what we will one day be when by his grace we are fully conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. It is a sure thing. So we should take confidence in that, even though the discouragements are many and real. We have a great destiny.

Taken from Come to the Waters by James Boice ISBN 9798887790954 used with permission from P&R Publishing, Phillipsburg NJ 08865

Scripture quotations are from the ESV (the Holy Bible English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.