God is Omniscient, He Knows Our Needs

By: Elias Bejjani*

"God is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knows those who take refuge in him". (Nahum 1/7)

Have you ever been so upset, angry, and furious, that you refrained from praying and started questioning God's fairness, judgment and even existence?
Have you ever been stunned and not been able to explain difficult situations, wrongdoings, and ingratitude from a beloved one?

Have you been bewildered and felt helpless in the face of bizarre acts of treason, hatred and vendettas from those whom you love?
Have you ever been disappointed by selfish, greedy, and evil acts by people close to you?
Have you been hurt unjustly by those whom you gave your life to and built your hopes on?
Have you ever felt abandoned and betrayed by people on whom you depended and trusted?

I am sure you have been through such unhappy moments because every one of us faces such distressing times throughout life.
The question is, why do some of us hold back and refrain from irresponsible acts of revenge while others do not?

The reason is because some of us are the faithful who believe in God and obey His Biblical teachings. These faithful are confident that Almighty God knows what is happening and, as a loving and just father, intervenes on their behalf at the right time to straighten things out righteously. The faithful are fully confident that God relieves the oppressed and punishes the oppressors, and that He is the Holy One whose Divine Right it is to take vengeance and not man.

When we attempt to avenge ourselves, we can't do it without sinning. We tend to do it with a wicked spirit of vindictiveness and revenge. God's vengeance is never sinful, but a matter of justice. God is the only one who can bring about justice without committing sin. He alone knows all the circumstances and the motives of the hearts that are involved in a situation, and He knows how to bring justice in a way that is truly perfect.
"Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but give place to wrath; for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay". (Romans 12:19)

We are to love our enemies, pray for them, and leave the rest to God. This is exactly what Saint Paul had in mind when he said in his letters to the Romans 12: 20-21:, "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good"

God is the final authority to judge matters and decide what is right and what is wrong. We commit a fatal sin when we assume God's role and act as judges on the souls of men without examining our own souls first. “Don’t judge, so that you won’t be judged. For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you". (Matthew 7: 1-2)

In encountering hard and painful situations, our minds can be filled with panic and we accordingly fail to think straight. In such difficult times, we are supposed to ask God to intervene and carry our burdens and He is always ready to so. “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

God is omniscient, which means he knows our needs even if we can't express them. He always sees things clearly and when we go to Him in fear or confusion, He has pity on us and takes us in. God wants us to trust in Him. He wants to be Our Protector and Our Guardian. Even if we can't figure out our own circumstances and hardships, God already has the answer and the right plan. There is no doubt that when we trust in Him we will live in content, harmony and tranquility no matter what hardships, pain, or persecution we might suffer.

It is helpful and comforting to put our lives in God's Merciful and Mighty Hands, and to leave every thing to Him. He wants us to be righteous in both faith and acts because faith without acts is dead. Faith without acts is like a body without a soul.

We must always remember that "God is a jealous God and avenges and is full of wrath. He takes vengeance on his adversaries, and maintains wrath against his enemies. God is slow to anger, and great in power, and will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. God has his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet. God rebukes the sea, and makes it dry, and dries up all the rivers. Bashan languishes, and Carmel; and the flower of Lebanon languishes. The mountains quake before him, and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, yes, the world, and all who dwell in it. Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the fierceness of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken apart by him. Yahweh is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knows those who take refuge in him.” (Nahum 1:1-7)

God knows our needs and fulfils them all the time, but in His Own Way and at His Own Pace which our limited minds can't comprehend at times.
Let us put our lives in God's Hands and be joyful and always remember what says: I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. (Psalm 32:8)

*Elias Bejjani
*Canadian-Lebanese Human Rights activist, journalist and political commentator
*Email phoenicia@hotmail.com
*Web sites http://www.10452lccc.com & http://www.clhrf.com
*Mailing phoenicia group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Phoenicia/.