The Sound of Heaven

After an entire evening of healing the sick and setting free those who were under evil oppression, Jesus was becoming popular and well-known. The people were gathering around HIM. Demons were trembling before HIM acknowledging HIM "the Son of God".

The ministry of Jesus had started with a blast! HE goes to a solitary place to share with the Father what is happening, how people are touched by the supernatural power of GOD. Then the Father begins to speak to Jesus, and HE hears the Sound of Heaven.

People come looking for Jesus, and they realise HE is getting ready to leave. They plead with HIM to stay, but Jesus says: "I must preach the good news of the Kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent" (Luke 4:43). He is leaving the moment of glory, the place of success because HE has heard the Sound of Heaven.

How often success, acceptance and recognition keeps me from going where the Lord is sending me. How often I get distracted from my mission because of the very blessings of God in my life. How often I try to serve HIM within my comfort zone. How often I ignore the difficult or boring missions that God places before me. Far too many!

I had become too tired of serving the people I was sent to, and was waiting for a distraction, when I found one in the form of a friend. One day in prayer, the Lord showed me that I had allowed myself to get distracted from my mission. That Sunday, I returned to the people HE sent me, kicking and screaming in my heart. As I sat there, a mother came and started to share her life with me, and another two joined and as a result today we are preparing 5 young women to be baptised this Easter! What a fool I had been, trying to find a few minutes of enjoyment and ignoring the mission of God!

As I write this, I hear the Sound of Heaven, "be careful not to hold on to the excitement, or the success, because it is not about success or failure, but about being on the journey in the mission of God - because that is why I was sent. Praise the Lord!