Jim Samra
By Ashley Andrews, 700 Club Interactive
CBN.com –HAIRS ON YOUR HEAD
If you grew up in church, chances are you have heard that, "God knows the number of hairs on your head." Now, if you were to bear in mind that God is infinite and all-powerful, it might seem that your hair count would be extraneous to such a superior deity. But, and this is the clincher, it isn't. You see, according to Jim Samra, pastor and author, God really, sincerely cares about every aspect of your life - even your locks (Matt. 10:29-31). And as hard as that may be to imagine, His interest doesn't stop there. From the trivial and mundane to the heartbreaking and life-changing, God cares about it all because you are His creation. What's more, He wants to a part of everything that affects you personally - where you live, where you go to school, where you work, who you date, who you marry, which car you drive, what groceries you buy, who you talk to and what you say. Nothing is inconsequential to Him. And in his new book God Told Me, Jim Samra not only encourages others to recognize God's infinite love but also to actively seek out His guidance.
GOD TOLD ME...
So you might be wondering - why is this important? What does He have to say? Well, as Jim sees it, God has a lot to say, and its importance is directly linked to our lives. Being a pastor, Jim knows all too well just how much God speaks in each and every one of our lives. Couples have married, families have moved and parents have adopted - all because God told them to. And if we look through history, we can see where believers became martyrs, scientists switched theories, the rich abandoned their wealth and men and women became missionaries for the very same thing. But that doesn't happen here in the 21st century, does it?
As Jim shared, "We have no problem recognizing that God spoke to people in the Bible, and we might be willing to concede that God has spoken at unique times in church history, but what about today?" And more to the point, "how do we know when we have heard from God?...Clearly God has spoken in the past," Jim continued, "and he did so for a variety of reasons. God spoke to create life (see Gen 1), make covenants (see Gen. 12:1-3), communicate His moral demands (see Exod. 19), rebuke and encourage His people (see Jer. 1:1-9) and communicate the future (see Matt. 24). And clearly God continue to speak today. God speaks through creation to declare His glory (see Ps. 19:1-4). The Holy Spirit speaks to the world, convicting men and women of sin, righteousness and judgment (see John 16:8). The Holy Spirit speaks to Christians, testifying that we are children of God (see Rom. 8:16). God speaks through His Word (and by the Holy Spirit) to teach, rebuke, correct and train (see 2 Tim. 3:16) as well as to convict and judge (see Heb. 4:12). But there is one particular purpose for which God spoke in the past and, I believe, still speaks today that is far too often neglected: to provide guidance."
THE BIG FOUR
When it comes to God and guidance, there are just a few things that we all need to get straight. As Jim described, there are four questions that boggle everyone. First: What is guidance from God? "...we should expect to get the same kind of advice from God we expect to receive from other people, or give out ourselves. When I say that advice from God is like the advice we receive from others, I don't mean the advice is of the same quality. I mean that it is of the same kind. In other words, if I ask my friend who is a real estate agent whether I should purchase a certain house at the price offered, the advice I would get from him, either "Yes, this is a good deal," or "No, don't buy it at this price," is the same kind of advice I should expect from God, who may even choose to communicate his guidance through my friend...my point here is that we would still recognize it as guidance."
Second: Why listen for guidance from God? "The main reason we should seek guidance from the Lord is that He encourages us to do so...He is a better guide for our lives than we are...He knows our true motives...He can navigate through competing values...He is not overwhelmed by options...He knows what we cannot...and He will guide us toward future joy...Seeking guidance from God can at times be incredibly frustrating, because when we look to the Lord for counsel we are no longer in control of the process. We can't force God to give us guidance in the way we want it to come - or when we want it to arrive...Yet I am reminded that although looking to God for guidance is the harder road, it is always the better road."
Third: How does God speak to us? "There is a mystery to exactly how God communicates." But Jim ensures, "God is consistent. While we cannot predict exactly how He will communicate, He always acts in accordance with who He is and how He has acted in the past. Hebrews 13:7-8 says, 'Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.' By looking at ways God has communicated guidance and council to others in the past, we can be confident that God will use these ways again to communicate guidance today...God has provided guidance and direction in the past through the Bible, preaching, prayer, the inner prompting of the Spirit, casting lots, putting out a fleece, godly counsel, spiritual direction, circumstances, dreams and visions, passions and peace and human wisdom. We can be confident he will continue to provide guidance and direction in the future."
Fourth: How do we distinguish God's voice? "When we experience an inner prompting, how can we know whether that inner prompting came from God or somewhere else?" Well, as Jim pointed out, "In John 10, Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd...This shepherd metaphor that Jesus applies to himself becomes even richer when we understand that in first-century Near Eastern culture shepherds did not drive their sheep using sheepdogs like in the West; instead they led their sheep by using their voices to call them." Because of this, Jim shared, the sheep grew to recognize the call of their shepherd, and the same applies to us, His followers." So the question then is - how do we learn to recognize His voice so that we will not be fooled by impersonation? For this, Jim urges readers to read Scripture. "...the more immersed in the Bible you are, the easier God's voice of guidance is to recognize. Guaranteed...When the words of Scripture are in our minds, the voice of God is ringing in our ears." What's more, our own testimony and other's encounters with God can help us in distinguishing God's voice. "As we learn about God's activity in the lives of others, and as we grow in our understanding of his activity in our lives, we become more adept at recognizing His voice."
A GOD WHO GUIDES
"One of the great reasons for listening to God's voice," Jim shared, "is that He can make happen whatever it is He guides us to do...One of the greatest experiences of my life has been regularly hearing the voice of God lead and direct me. If nothing else, my prayer for this book is that it will raise your expectations regarding God communicating with you. The pages of Scripture are filled with examples of those who received guidance and direction from God. These can't be isolated examples for select individuals. There are simply too many examples, from all over the Bible, featuring every different kind of person. And these are only the ones actually written down! Why would God have recorded so many examples if not to convince us that He is the God who guides?"
In the end, it is up to us, to you. If you want to hear from God, to have Him guide you, then you have to listen. As Jim urged, "Each one of Jesus' sheep must learn to recognize His voice for themselves...if you are willing to listen, God will speak. He will give you guidance, direction, counsel and advice for whatever situation you need his help for, or whatever phase of life you find yourself in." All it takes is a little prayer.