And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.
(Exodus 2:25 ESV)
God knew. These two words leapt from the page of my Bible this morning and made their home in my heart. God knew.
What did God know? He knew His children. He knew their struggles. He knew their hearts. He knew who they were and who He wanted them to be. He knew where they came from and where He wanted them to go. He knew it all. As the Amplified version of this same verse states, “God saw the sons of Israel, and God took notice [of them] and was concerned about them [knowing all, understanding all, remembering all].”
When God says He knows, He really knows. He knows the beginning and the end and everything in between. He knows our every thought before we think it and every word before we speak it. He knows our past, our present, and our future. He knows it all.
Read with me Psalm 139:
O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
(Psalm 139:1-6)
When God knew the plight of the Israelites in Exodus 2, He knew more than what was currently happening. He knew the covenant He had made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He knew the life of Joseph and how He had used Joseph to bring His children to Egypt. He knew what was coming–the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart, the plagues, the crossing of the Red Sea, the rebellion of His children. He knew the doubts, the fears, the struggles, and the fickleness of their faith. He knew it all.
But knowing it all has never and will never stop God from fulfilling His purpose in our lives. Actually, knowing it all is what enables God to fulfill His purpose in our lives.
God knows the complete picture He is painting with your life. What may look like a random stroke slicing into the canvas of your life has a purpose in God’s plan. Consider how a painting is created. The artist has a picture in his mind of how he wants it to be upon completion; he has a vision. With that vision in his mind, he starts mixing colors. Then with that vision still in his mind, he makes that first stroke. Now that first brush stroke may look random, it may even appear out of place and completely unrelated to the final vision. But the artist has a plan with that stroke; he has a plan with every stroke. In fact, those first few strokes will eventually blend together with more strokes to create a masterpiece. And even though the individual strokes may not make sense by themselves, together the artist uses each one to create something beautiful.
And this is what God wrote on my heart this morning. It is what I pray He writes on yours as well. God knows. He knows it all. He knows the depths of your heart (1 Kings 8:39). He knows the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4). He knows the cries of your heart, even the ones too intense to leave your lips. In fact, since His Spirit is interceding for you even now with groans you cannot understand (Romans 8:26-27), you can speak with confidence the words of David: “O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you” (Psalm 38:9).
My sighing is not hidden from you. In the same way God “heard the groaning” of the Israelites in Exodus 2:24, and in the same way God “heard the sighs” of David throughout the Psalms, God sees and hears each of His children. God not only sees it all and hears it all, but God knows it all as well. He does not just see each tear that falls; He knows the depth of emotion within each of those tears, and He also keeps a record of them. God has “kept count” of your tossing and put your tears in a bottle (Psalm 56:8). God has not forgotten you. God will never forget you. He knows you. He loves you.
So go forth this day trusting God knows it all. All. He knows every moment, every thought, every word. And He is using it all to paint a beautiful picture with your life–a masterpiece for His glory (Ephesians 2:10).
God knows where you have come from and where you are going. He knows your inability at times to see the purpose of those harsh strokes, but He also knows that each stroke–painful or not–is creating something beautiful. So do not fear. Do not be dismayed. He has called you by name. By name. In fact, say your name out loud right now. Now say it within the following verse: “Fear not, _______, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1). I encourage to say it again with confidence: “Fear not, _______, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1).
Can you sense it? Can you sense that peace in knowing God knows. He knows it all. He has you engraved on the palm of His hand and will never–never–let you go (Isaiah 49:16).
So I leave you with God’s own encouragement spoken to Joshua after the death of Moses. I pray as you read the words below, God writes them on your heart with permanent marker. I also pray as you read them, He instills a trust in you that whether God calls you out of the boat to walk on the water or asks you to remain in the boat to paddle through the storm, He is with you–guiding, leading, protecting, and fashioning every moment for His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13).
God knew each Israelite intimately, God knew David intimately, and God knows you intimately. And He not only knows, but He sees, He remembers, He understands, and He always–always has a plan.
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
(Joshua 1:9)
To Have a Heart Like His 