Opening

What do you know?

• Fill a container with sweets or beads.
• Know ahead of time how many things there are, but do not tell the children the quantity. Take guesses and predictions as to how many things the children think are inside. Why is it difficult to know for sure?

Bible Story

• Explain to the children that we are going to talk about a rather large word today: “omniscience.” Help them practice saying it if this is not a familiar word.
• Omniscience means knowing everything. Do we know everything? Well, probably not! (Even though some people think they do!)
• Have the children brainstorm questions they have, about anything at all. Write down questions on a whiteboard or paper. What do they want to know about the world?
• Next, have the children brainstorm what they know about God, and what they want to know. Write these attributes on paper or whiteboard, with a chart of “What to know” vs. “Already know.” Talk in pairs or groups about these qualities of God. Add the word “omniscience” to the chart, and discuss how God knows all things.

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts. -Isaiah 55:6-9

• Let the children read these verses quietly, or read them to them. Think for a minute…what does this mean? For one thing, it means we do not have all of the answers…and that’s okay? The questions asked earlier were not all easily answered. We wish we knew everything, but we certainly do not… that is God’s job.
• Let us look at a few more verses relating to this topic:

Do not be quick with your mouth,
do not be hasty in your heart
to utter anything before God.
God is in heaven
and you are on earth,
so let your words be few. -Ecclesiastes 5:2

• Have students look at their hair. Do you know how many hairs are on your head? Even in a little chunk of hair? How about sand or soil…hold up a small amount of sand or glitter. How long would it take to count all of this? Well, God knows. He made everything, He knows everything, and He is everywhere all the time! How is that even possible…?

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place when
I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in
your book before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, [a] God! How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I
awake, I am still with you. -Psalm 139:13-18

• Above all, we know that some things are way over our heads. There are probably a lot of topics and details that even teachers have a hard time understanding! But we recognize that with God in control, that is okay…

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.
Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit. – Psalm 147:3-5

• God knows the hairs on our heads, the sands on the shore, the stars in the sky…our own human understanding is limited. But God will take care of the rest.
• I knew how many sweets were in the container because I put them there. The Creator knows things about the world because HE made
  them! And we can know that our trust in His mighty power is not misplaced.
• As humans, we ask ourselves many questions trying to figure out the future. We think:
  What teacher will I get this year?
  Who will be my friend?
  What sport will I play?
  What type of job will I have when I grow up?
  Who will I marry?
• These are just a few questions that are very common to wonder about. Yet, as we wonder, God already knows. Our job is to plan and commit ourselves to God and He will guide us to the perfect promise He has for us. It’s not going to be easy, stress-free, or pain-free. For God said we will have trials in this world, but as we trust in Him and commit to Him, His purpose for us will prevail.

Questions

1. Why are the Lord’s thoughts not your thoughts?
2. Why are the Lord’s ways not your ways?
3. God compared heaven to earth to show the contrast in His thoughts and ways to ours. Do you think that is a good analogy? Why?
4. Since God’s thoughts and ways are higher than ours would we be wise to follow Him instead of relying on our own strength?