“If he had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched.” Matthew 24:43 NKJV.

God knows you do not know everything but He knows all that you do not.

My thoughts and comments today are about “life without regrets.”

There may be no more plaintive sigh than, “If I had only known . . “ There have been things I have said or done which I would have done differently, if I had only known their effect on myself and others. There have been decisions I made that I might have chosen differently – more carefully, more wisely – if I had only known then what I know now I would have fewer things to regret.

The things that you will most regret are the times you knew better but didn’t choose more wisely, unlike the times that you did your best in matters where you could not have known better. You must learn from both of those, and then commit the past confidently to God’s grace. Jesus warned, “If the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.” Matthew 24:43 NKJV.

But is it possible for anyone to ever know all that they will need to know? Not really. That’s why God has given you His Word, and the indwelling Holy Spirit who will “guide you into all truth.” John 16:13 NIV. There is much unknown to you, but not unknowable to God. God has made provision for you in the many decisions of everyday life. He has given you life experiences and the lessons to be learned from them, an intellect to reason and analyze, a capacity for learning, parents and people to warn and teach you, and His Truth to instruct you. God wants you to live without regrets.

And when all of those are not quite enough, God Himself is there. “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should pray to God, who will give it to him; because God gives generously and graciously to all.But when you pray, you must believe and not doubt at all. Whoever doubts is like a wave in the sea that is driven and blown about by the wind.” James 1:5-6 TEV. God knows you do not know everything but He knows all that you do not.

“Now we see things imperfectly as in a poor mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God knows me now.” 1 Corinthians 13:12 NLT. There is no argument there; “We see things imperfectly . . all I know now is partial and incomplete.”

Usually a person frets and worries over what they do not know without living confidently in the truth of God’s Word which you can know, and in the knowledge and wisdom gained in life experience, though incomplete for now. I think the simple answer for everyday life may be to live the best you can, true to what you know even though it is partial, always asking and seeking for the knowledge, wisdom, and understanding that God alone possesses and faithfully supplies.

Jesus taught that if you know the thief is coming but just do not know when, you are wise to be always watchful, prepared, and on guard. It has been wrongly said that what you don’t know can’t hurt you; obviously, that is not always true. Sometimes that can hurt you badly, unless you live wisely in the practical truth of what you do know.

My prayer for you today is that you will love knowledge and be true to the truth.