Knowing God Part 2: God's Knowledge, Power, and Presence
Updated: 5 days ago
Psalm 139:1–12; Hebrews 4:13; Jeremiah 32:17; Revelation 19:6; Jeremiah 23:23–24; Romans 11:33; 16:27; Psalm 115:3; Daniel 4:35; Matthew 10:29–31; Romans 8:28; Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 44:24; Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3; Isaiah 55:8–9; 57:15
There is a profound difference between knowing that God exists and understanding something about Him. Scripture does not present God as a distant figure whose power is limited, whose knowledge is incomplete, or whose involvement in creation ended when the world began. Rather, the Bible reveals His knowledge is perfect, His power is without limitation, His presence fills heaven and earth, and His wisdom governs all that He does. These attributes are not meaningless information. They are divine realities upon which believers build a life of confidence, obedience, worship, and trust. The more clearly we understand who God is, the more we understand every circumstance. Reconciling these in spite of evil's existence, for a glaring example, is crucial to a biblically informed faith in Christ. Naturally, people have reasoned, "If God is all powerful, knows everything-even before it happens, present everywhere and all good, then why does evil exist and bad things happen? Why is there not only evil, but gratuitous evil? So much suffering everywhere in seemingly every way? The important answers exist, but they are deeper than occasional attention, hidden to preconceived ideas and impossible to fully reason in the absence of The Special Revelation of God. He reveals details of Himself everywhere but In the Bible we receive in a unique way among the world's varied religions.
This is the 2nd of several studies discussing the attributes of God and I pray your walk is strengthened by it. Blessings!
God Is Omniscient – He Knows Everything. In Psalm 139:1–6, David marvels that God has searched him and known him completely. God knows his sitting down and rising up, understands his thoughts from afar, and knows his words before they are spoken. Hebrews 4:13 extends this truth to all creation, declaring that nothing is hidden from God's sight. His knowledge is neither acquired through observation nor limited by time. He knows what has been, what is, and what will be. Yet David does not describe this knowledge as something frightening. He finds it wonderfully beyond comprehension. For the believer, there is great comfort in knowing that God understands even those burdens we cannot adequately explain. He knows the motives of our hearts, the circumstances surrounding our struggles, and the needs we have not yet recognized. We never approach Him as strangers attempting to explain ourselves to someone unfamiliar with our condition.
God Is Omnipotent – He Is All-Powerful. Jeremiah 32:17 acknowledges that God created the heavens and earth by His great power and outstretched arm, concluding that nothing is too difficult for Him. This confession is particularly meaningful because Jeremiah was speaking amid circumstances that seemed to contradict God's promises. Jerusalem faced destruction, yet God commanded Jeremiah to purchase a field as a testimony to the restoration that would follow. Revelation 19:6 celebrates the reign of the Lord God Almighty, directing our attention toward the ultimate triumph of His purposes. God's omnipotence does not mean that He acts contrary to His holy nature, but that no power can prevent Him from accomplishing His will. The obstacles that appear insurmountable to us do not diminish His ability. Our confidence rests not in the apparent likelihood of a favorable outcome, but in the unlimited power of the One who holds the outcome in His hands.
God Is Omnipresent – He Is Everywhere Present. David asks in Psalm 139:7–12 where he could go to escape God's Spirit or flee from His presence. Whether ascending into heaven, descending into the depths, or traveling to the farthest reaches of the sea, he discovers that God is already there. Jeremiah 23:23–24 similarly declares that God is not merely a God nearby, but also a God far away, filling heaven and earth. His presence cannot be confined to a temple, a sanctuary, or a particular geographical location. This truth simultaneously confronts the sinner who imagines that his actions are concealed and comforts the believer who feels abandoned. Darkness cannot hide us from God, nor can distance separate us from His presence. There is no hospital room, lonely highway, prison cell, or forgotten corner of the earth beyond His reach. Wherever His children find themselves, they are never outside His awareness or beyond His presence.
God Is Omnisapient – He Is All-Wise. Romans 11:33 celebrates the depth of God's riches, wisdom, and knowledge, declaring His judgments unsearchable and His ways beyond tracing out. Romans 16:27 identifies Him as the only wise God, to whom glory belongs through Jesus Christ. Knowledge and wisdom are closely related, but they are not identical. Knowledge concerns what is known; wisdom concerns the perfect understanding and application of that knowledge. God not only knows everything, but also understands perfectly how everything relates to His eternal purposes. His decisions are never misguided, In spite of appearances, His judgments never mistaken, and His plans never the product of incomplete information. We are limited by our perspective, but faith does not require us to understand every decision God makes. And we don't understand everything about the personal world we occupy but live quite ok with it. For example, Most of us don't understand a thing about the electricity in our homes (running the entire home!) past the switches and light bulbs and we don't question it. We just trust it works. Faith in God when things are mysterious or inexplicable (like electricty) requires us to trust the perfect wisdom of the One who created, controls and is omni-benevolent, of all-good. God is maximally good. This is different and seperate from good and bad things happening.
God Is Sovereign – He Rules Over All. Psalm 115:3 declares that God is in heaven and does whatever He pleases. Daniel 4:35 reinforces this truth by affirming that no one can restrain His hand or demand an accounting of His actions. Of particular significance concerning this reality is highlighted in Daniel because Nebuchadnezzar, one of the most powerful rulers of the ancient world, was humbled until he acknowledged the supremacy of heaven. Earthly authority, human ambition, and political power remain subordinate to God's ultimate rule. His sovereignty does not eliminate human responsibility, nor does it make every human action morally pleasing to Him. Rather, it assures us that no rebellion, opposition, or circumstance can overthrow His eternal purposes. We can face an uncertain world with the assurance that heaven's throne has never been vacated and that the God who rules over all things remains faithful to His promises.
God Is Providential – He Is Actively Involved in His Creation. In Matthew 10:29–31, Jesus reminds His disciples that even sparrows do not fall apart from the Father's knowledge and care, and that the hairs of their heads are numbered. Romans 8:28 teaches that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Providence is the active expression of God's wisdom, knowledge, power, and sovereignty within the affairs of His creation. God has not simply established the universe and withdrawn from its operation. He remains involved in the lives of those He has made. Yet His providence should not be confused with a promise that every circumstance will be pleasant or that every hardship will end as we desire. The good described in Romans 8 is ultimately connected to God's purpose of conforming believers to the image of His Son. His providential care is therefore not measured merely by our immediate comfort, but by His faithful accomplishment of His eternal purposes.
God Is Creator – Everything Exists Because of Him. Genesis 1:1 begins with the foundational declaration that God created the heavens and the earth. Isaiah 44:24 further identifies the Lord as the One who made everything, stretching out the heavens and spreading out the earth by Himself. Creation is neither independent of God nor the result of some power greater than Him. Everything that exists owes its existence to His creative will. This establishes an essential distinction between the Creator and His creation. God is not a part of the universe, dependent upon its resources or subject to its limitations. He is the source of its existence. Consequently, human life possesses significance not because humanity has assigned value to itself, but because human beings are creatures of the living God, made in His image. Understanding God as Creator should produce both humility and gratitude. We are not self-existent, self-sufficient beings. Every breath, every ability, and every opportunity to glorify Him begins with the life He has given. Philosophically, God is necesary for everything to exist and everything--us included--is then, contingent upon Him. Without Him, nothing exists.
God Is Sustainer – All Things Continue Through Him. Colossians 1:17 declares that Christ is before all things and that all things hold together in Him. Hebrews 1:3 describes the Son as sustaining all things by His powerful word. These passages reveal something extraordinary about the relationship between Christ and creation. The One through whom all things were made is also the One through whom all things continue to exist. Creation is not a machine that God constructed and abandoned to operate independently; that's theological evolution. God reveals he doesn't evolve or change. He is. creation's continued existence depends upon His sustaining power. This truth also provides a profound perspective on our daily dependence upon Him because the same Lord who upholds the universe sustains us through the burdens and uncertainties of life. His sustaining power does not guarantee the absence of suffering, (and the existence of suffering doesn't discount His upholding of all things) but it assures us that neither our existence nor His purposes depend upon the strength of our own hands.
God Is Transcendent – He Is Exalted Above His Creation. Isaiah 55:8–9 reminds us that God's thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are higher than ours, just as the heavens are higher than the earth. Isaiah 57:15 describes Him as the high and exalted One who inhabits eternity and whose name is Holy. God's transcendence means that He exists above and beyond the limitations of the created order. He cannot be reduced to human categories, confined within human expectations, or fully comprehended by finite minds. His holiness distinguishes Him from everything He has made. Yet Isaiah 57:15 reveals a remarkable truth: this exalted God also dwells with the humble and contrite, reviving their spirits and hearts. Just because He is transcendent doesn't mean iHe is indifferent to humanity. actually, it magnifies the wonder of His willingness to draw near. Although His greatness exceeds our comprehension graciously attends to those who approach Him in humility. Attempting to approach Him through false beliefs or an idolatrous rite is not humiliity, btw. Approaching Him as man sees fit is always contrary to His word because mankind is obviously not in the position to build a bridge to God wether it be mental, spiritual or physical. We are as far from Him as the heavens are from the earth. Thankfully, His character and attributes provide a way to cure our separation--its causes and effects! Jesus said, "I am the way the truth and the life..." No one make it to the father except through Him.
God Is Immanent – He Is Personally Near. While God's transcendence declares that He is exalted above creation, His immanence affirms that He is actively present within it and personally involved with His creatures. Isaiah 57:15 beautifully holds these truths together: the One who inhabits eternity also dwells with the contrite and humble. Acts 17:27–28 teaches that God is not far from each of us and that our very life and existence depend upon Him. His nearness is not merely a matter of geographical presence, for the God who fills heaven and earth also makes Himself known relationally. Through Jesus Christ, believers are brought near to God, reconciled through His sacrifice, and given access to the Father. The God who is infinitely greater than we can comprehend has chosen to reveal Himself and welcome His children into fellowship with Him. His greatness should inspire reverence, while His nearness should inspire confidence, gratitude, and love.
When these ten attributes are considered together, they reveal a God whose greatness and goodness cannot be separated. His omniscience assures us that He knows our circumstances. His omnipotence assures us that He is able to accomplish His purposes. His omnipresence reminds us that we are never beyond His presence, while His perfect wisdom assures us that His judgments are always right. His sovereignty establishes His authority over all things, and His providence reveals His continuing care within them. As Creator, He is the source of our existence; as Sustainer, He is the One upon whom our continued existence depends. His transcendence calls us to worship Him with reverence, while His immanence invites us to approach Him with confidence.
Perhaps the most remarkable truth is that these are not merely attributes of a God we study from a distance. They are the attributes of the God who has made Himself known through Jesus Christ. The One who holds all things together is the same Savior who gave Himself for our redemption. The One whose wisdom is beyond searching has revealed His grace through the cross. The One who inhabits eternity has drawn near to us so that we might know Him. The purpose of studying God's attributes, therefore, is not simply to increase our theological knowledge, but to deepen our worship, strengthen our faith, and transform the way we live before and with Him.
Reflect a bit
Which of these ten attributes most directly challenges the way you have been thinking about your present circumstances, and how should a clearer understanding of that attribute change your response to God?
How does recognizing both God's infinite greatness and His personal nearness affect the way you approach Him in prayer, respond to uncertainty, and trust His purposes?
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, You are greater than our minds can comprehend, yet You have graciously made Yourself known to us. You know everything about us, possess all power, and remain present wherever we go. Your wisdom is perfect, Your authority is supreme, and Your providential care reaches into circumstances we cannot understand. You are our Creator and Sustainer, exalted above all creation, yet wonderfully near to those who seek You. Forgive us for the times we have allowed our limited understanding to diminish our confidence in Your goodness. Teach us to trust Your wisdom when Your ways are unclear, to rest in Your power when our strength is exhausted, and to recognize Your presence when circumstances leave us feeling alone. Above all, continue transforming our hearts and minds into the likeness of Jesus Christ, that our growing knowledge of You might produce greater humility, deeper obedience, and more faithful worship. In the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, Amen.