Be conscious of God’s presence – Part 1

Many people enter a New Year and continue to act as if their activities are permanently hidden. In reality, they may hide things from men, but before God all things are “open and naked.” The Psalmist lived with and expressed this consciousness. He acknowledged God’s presence and omniscience in this passage. All believers ought to know that God watches our steps, hears our words, records our ways and notes our thoughts. He is abreast of our plans and sees our actions. No wonder the Psalmist said: “Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.” He, therefore, pleaded with God to search Him to know His heart. Having been tried, pardoned and cleansed. He was certain that God would lead him “in the way (of) everlasting life.”

God is present everywhere: He sees and knows everything about everyone. Sinners are not conscious of His presence because they are dead in sin and trespasse. But when a sinner becomes born again, he receives eternal life that activates his spirit to be conscious of the presence of God every time. This New Year, we must at all times, in all activities, before all men, possess the awesome perception of the Omniscient God.

God is Omniscient and He has an awesome perception of all things. He knows and understands all things – our motives, plans, actions — and records them in His book. God’s penetrating knowledge of our ways is limitless.

“O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.” The x-ray can see what the flesh covers; but more than that, God has the penetrating knowledge of all our ways. Despite the distance between Him and us, He still understands our thoughts. He is “acquainted with all (our) ways” and “all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” If He knows everything about us, then there is no hiding place for anyone in His immediate presence at the final judgment. For one, God has profound knowledge of our words.

“For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.” God has profound knowledge of our words — be it proud, belittling, slanderous, malicious or words that help, energise and encourage people to make progress. The Psalmist makes it clear that we will give account of everything we say on the day of reckoning. But God will help us this year, as we set everything right in the daily usage of our tongues before that final day comes. This is the best way to be comforted by the fact that God’s peerless knowledge is wonderful.

The infinite, peerless and perfect knowledge of God “is too wonderful…” Therefore, we should consider and find comfort in the fact that God, our Father, knows what we need even before we pray. That same knowledge should instill anxiety in the heart of unbelievers because God sees and knows everything about their secret and open atrocities. He will recompense everyone according to his/her works.

• Further reading (King James Version): Psalm 139:1-24; Jeremiah 17:9,10; Hebrews 4:13; John 2:24,25; Acts 1:23-24. Psalms 50:19-22; Malachi 3:13-16; Matthew 12:36,37; James 3:5,6. Job 11:7-9; 42:2-6; Romans 11:33; Isaiah 40:28. Jeremiah 23:23, 24; Amos 9:2,3; Proverbs 15:11. Job 12: 22; Isaiah 29:15; Daniel 2:22. Psalms 104:24; Isaiah 44:24; Jeremiah 1:5. Psalms 31:19; 40:5; 1 Corinthians 2:9; Jeremiah 29:11. Psalms 9:17; 94:23; Matthew 25: 41; Jude 1:13-16. Jeremiah 17:10; Job 34:31,32.