How Little we Know (guest post from Gareth Orr)

It’s that time of year again. The leaves have returned to the trees, the flowers are blooming, the grass is growing (albeit slowly). All this can only mean one thing. Exam season is upon us once again! Even if you are not currently revising for exams yourself, no doubt you know someone who is. Across the country, students are preparing for Leaving Cert, Junior Cert, and end of year university exams. Bedrooms fill with notes, textbooks and flashcards. Conversations often revolve around deadlines, stress and how much there still seems left to learn.

I know the feeling well. I’m studying to be a pastor, and recently had to sit my end of year exams. During the revision process I was struck by how much effort I had to put in to memorise the material. No doubt some people find revision easier than I do! Nevertheless, preparing for exams takes work. You have to make choices—unless you have a photographic memory, you cannot possibly revise every single word given to you throughout the year.

The point is this: revising for exams is hard work because we, as human beings, simply do not know everything. Our knowledge is limited, partial, and the knowledge we think we have is easily forgotten under pressure.

Of course, this is not just true during exam season. Daily life often reminds us of our limits. We make plans without knowing what tomorrow will bring. We worry about decisions because we cannot see the outcomes. Human beings know many things, but none of us knows everything.

Yet for centuries, people have found comfort in the fact that there is One who does. The Christian faith looks to a God who knows all things completely. He does not learn new information or discover facts He previously missed. He is never surprised, confused or caught off guard. The Bible describes God as “perfect in knowledge.” It says He knows the stars by name and even notices the fall of a sparrow . In another place, it speaks of God knowing us personally: our thoughts, our worries and the details of our lives.

Whether or not someone considers themselves religious, it is worth pausing on that idea.

If such a God exists, then trust suddenly becomes a reasonable response. After all, we trust people who know more than we do. We trust teachers to guide students through exams, doctors to interpret symptoms and pilots to fly aircraft safely. Knowledge inspires confidence.

The Christian claim goes further. God does not simply know more, He knows everything! That does not remove life’s difficulties or answer every question immediately. But it offers something steady in an uncertain world.

So here is a simple question worth considering: if there is a God who knows all things and can be trusted — do you know Him?

Gareth is studying to be a pastor and is on placement in Milford and Letterkenny for 2 months.