In The Margins

by Justan Borth

When I was growing up, I was convinced my parents knew everything. I would sit in awe of their knowledge — how they could read and write, drive a car, or cook an entire meal without burning it. As a kid, I never wanted to sit at the “kids’ table” during family gatherings. I wanted to be in the other room, listening in on all the “grown-up” conversations.

Now that I’m older, I’ve gained some of that knowledge myself. I can drive, I love to read, and I get to sit at the adult table (unless they kick me out 😄). Over time, I’ve learned more and more, but I’ve also realized something humbling — the more I know, the more I see how much I don’t know. For every piece of knowledge I gain, there seems to be an endless sea of things I have yet to understand.

That reality, however, is not true of God. He knows everything — past, present, and future — all at once. This attribute of God is called omniscience.

As humans, we can learn and understand things (this is a communicable attribute of God), but we can never know allthings as He does (that’s incommunicable — meaning it belongs only to Him).

Wayne Grudem defines God’s omniscience as this:

“God fully knows himself and all things actual and possible in one simple and eternal act.”

That one sentence holds a lot of weight. Let’s break it down a bit:

• “Fully knows himself.” God is infinite, beyond our comprehension, yet He completely understands His own nature — something no human could ever do.
• “All things actual.” God knows everything that exists or ever has existed — every moment of the past, every detail of the present, and everything still to come.
• “All things possible.” God even knows what could have happened. Every possible outcome, every “what if,” exists fully within His knowledge and sovereignty. Nothing is outside His awareness.
• “In one simple and eternal act.” God doesn’t learn new things or gain knowledge over time. He has always known everything — instantly, completely, and eternally.

It’s hard to wrap our minds around, isn’t it? Even as I write this, I find it difficult to comprehend the full depth of God’s knowledge. And honestly, that’s the point. We shouldn’t be able to fully understand Him — He’s God! His vast knowledge reminds us of our own limits and draws us to worship the One who truly knows all things.

So, how should this change the way we live?

First, we can rejoice in the gift of knowledge. God created us with minds that can learn, think, and explore. Every discovery — every scientific breakthrough, every new skill, every “aha!” moment — is a reflection of His creative nature at work in us.

Second, we can rest in His omniscience. Whatever you’re walking through, God already knows. Nothing catches Him off guard. When we feel uncertain or overwhelmed, we can take comfort in this truth: we might be surprised — but God never is.

Reflective Questions

Where in your life do you feel unsure, anxious, or confused — and how does knowing that God already understands every detail bring you comfort or confidence?

In what areas do you try to rely on your own understanding instead of trusting God’s perfect knowledge? What would it look like to surrender those areas to Him?

What is something new you’ve learned recently — in school, in Scripture, or in life — and how does that spark gratitude for the way God created your mind to grow and understand?

Further Reading: Psalm 139