John 2:25 He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.

Sometimes we forget that God is omniscient. We do all sorts of things to try to hide from Him, but it’s like a little kid denying that they got into Mommy’s makeup when they have lipstick all over their face. Actually, the amazing thing isn’t that God knows everything about us, it’s that He loves us anyway. He doesn’t love everything we do, but He loves us. Really grasping both sides of that will give us peace that can be had no other way. Sometimes we get frantic that “God will find out” something about us, when He knows us better than we know ourselves! Conversely, we can get completely torn up over something we have done, when God knows the sin and the repercussions of it far better than we do. All we have to do is ack­nowledge it before Him and ask His forgiveness and cleansing, and He will do what we never could. (1 John 1:9) Recent advances in astronomy, courtesy of the new telescopes we’re now able to put into space, are showing us the incredible size of the universe, quite literally beyond our power to grasp. That makes it all the more miraculous that God both knows and cares about every detail of our existence. (Luke 12:2) When God already knows every detail about us, better than we know ourselves, the only logical course is to walk open and honest before Him, never attempting deceit but asking and allowing Him to keep working on us, correcting and growing us as He knows we need it. After all, that’s far easier and more peaceful than trying to maintain any sort of facade. However, we won’t do that unless we know in our deepest being that He loves us in spite of ourselves.

I think the greatest gift my parents gave me was the assurance that I was loved, by them and especially by God. I don’t remember all the details of how they did that, but they were certainly effective. It is recorded, in my parents’ Christmas newsletter when I was five, that I went to my mother and told her, “Mommy, I really, really love you, but I don’t love you nearly as much as I love Jesus.” I would never have had that attitude if I hadn’t been strongly aware of the love that was poured out on me. That love didn’t spoil me; I was very used to being told “No.” However, it certainly penetrated, and I am deeply grateful. Now, my task is to help others know that God loves them as much as He does me. People don’t seem to have trouble believing that God loves me, but they choke on the idea that He could love them just as much. I can’t force them to believe, but I can give them the information as winningly as possible and let Holy Spirit work it into their hearts and minds.

Father, thank You for this reminder, and for Your incredible love – in spite of Your omniscience! I ask You to enable me to locate that carbon copy of the Christmas newsletter that I quoted. I just looked for it, and didn’t turn it up. There are many things from my past that are worth preserving, but I’m not a very good archivist! May all that You have done, are doing, and will do in my life accomplish what You intend, for Your pleasure and glory. Thank You. Praise God!