Lost And Found!

In chapter 15 of the Gospel of Luke in the Bible, the LORD JESUS related 3 stories to those who were looked down upon as sinners and to the Pharisees and scribes who were religious leaders. The stories are about an insensible sheep that wandered away, an insensitive coin that rolled away and a impatient boy who walked away. All three were lost but when they were found there was great rejoicing!

The lost sheep was one of a flock of hundred. In its foolishness it wandered away and was in danger of being caught by a wolf. Every sheep was precious to the shepherd. Although that sheep was one of a hundred and the shepherd still had 99 sheep, his heart ached for that lost sheep! He left the 99 sheep to find the lost one. When he found it, he carried it on his shoulders and brought it home rejoicing! He celebrated with his friends and neighbours!!

The lost coin was probably one of ten in a head dress of a woman. That head dress was not complete without that lost coin although it had 9 left on it! The woman spent time and energy lighting a lamp, sweeping the floor and carefully searching for it. Life was not as usual for her until she found the lost coin. When she found it she had such joy that she called her friends and neighbours to share in her celebration!!

The lost son was the younger of two sons of a father. He demanded from his father, the portion of his inheritance that would come to him after the death of his father. Seeing that he had set his heart on the treasure, the father released the goods to him ahead of time. A few days after receiving the goods, the son realised that he wouldn't be in a position to enjoy these goods as long as he was within the disciplined boundaries and the clean environment of his home. Then he collected all that now belonged to him and journeyed to a land far away. Far enough to be out of sight, out of hearing and out of reach of his father!

Now he had his freedom to live as he pleased! He could enjoy life with the money he had!! He felt he was let loose!!! He partied day and night. He did whatever brought excitement and enjoyment to himself, thinking what a lot of sensations he had missed out while at home. He made many friends as he threw wild parties! "Money is for spending," he thought to himself! He did not realise that money wouldn't last forever.

 Co-incidentally, as he finished his money, a severe famine arose in that far away land. His parties ended and his friends left him. The experience of emptiness overwhelmed him. Empty stomach, empty pocket and an empty life. Hunger pains drove him to find work. Feeding swine would be the most menial of all jobs for a Jew! Even there no one gave him anything. No money and no food. Only the pigs' food was available to him!!

While in that desperate state he 'came to himself'. He came to his senses. The remembrance of his loving father brought a lump in his throat and tears in his eyes. He pictured the lowest person in his father's house. "The hired servants had food enough and to spare! I lived in such comfort and security as a son, in a loving environment. I have now come down to being a pig- feeder. I have hit rock bottom. Now I will arise and go to my father. I will confess my rebellion against GOD in disobeying his GOD-given authority over me. I can never be fit to be a son in that environment of clean standards. I am so dirty in my body, mind and spirit! The only way out for me is to be one of the lowliest hired servants of my father. I will still be within the boundary of my father's house!"  He wept as his heart broke.

He thought of the long distance he had to cover as he started on his return journey. In every way it was a 180 degree change in direction! The attitude of his heart, the thoughts that filled his mind, his values and his focus.Walking with starvation and physical weakness was hard. Retracing his steps brought memories of his rebellion, anger, selfishness and covetousness and it was emotionally torturous! He hated that path he had taken. How deceived he had been in looking for fun that was evil, wicked and transient. It had left him empty, weak and hurt. Every step toward home made him remember the abundance of provision, justice and security that prevailed there. The discipline, responsibility and rules maintained by his father which previously irritated him now seemed so precious and necessary. These were so wanting in the land far away. The freedom that he had sought after had in fact brought him into the bondage of the enemy of his soul! The journey out that had been exciting and short, now seemed so long and tiring.

As he lifted his eyes, at last he caught a glimpse of the familiar structure! His home!!That's where he belonged. He saw a figure, straining to look towards him. Could that be father? He tried to imagine how his father would feel for him. He may be angry and shout at him or even beat him with a rod. Strangely, it didn't matter to him. He felt he deserved every bit of it and he wasn't afraid. There was peace deep in his heart. He would gladly take whatever punishment awaited him as long as he could be with his father, even as a hired servant. He wouldn't expect anything more.

Now the old, frail figure of the father was moving fast towards him. The gap between him and his father was narrowing. The grace and love flowing from the father seemed to bridge the gap reaching his heart! Love started replacing the traces of fear in his heart. It seemed to be few moments and the prodigal son was locked in the tight embrace of his father, both weeping! After gaining his breath, the boy started his planned recitation of confession and his intention to be a servant. The father had different plans for his prodigal son. The plan was nothing short of complete restoration of his son ship including all the perks!!!
The best robe was put on him, a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. The fatted calf was killed to make a grand meal and a party followed with music and dancing!!

You may have been one of a hundred and have now wandered away. You may feel so insignificant, unwanted and useless. The Shepherd of your soul is looking for you. He is passionately seeking you! He knows you by name and you are precious to Him. There is evil and danger in this world. He desires to take you back into His fold.

But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.  Isaiah 43:1


You may have been callous and careless with your life and rolled away like the coin. You realise you are lost. You may think that it doesn't matter as you are one of ten. There are nine others left. You have no identity. You have no purpose in life and like the coin you are just rolling around in the dark. That head dress is not complete without you. You belong there! The LORD JESUS left Heaven and came to this earth to look for you and to save you. You are unique and special - just one of a kind! He wants to place you where you belong.
 You shall also be a crown of glory In the hand of the LORD, And a royal diadem In the hand of your God.Isaiah 62:3

If you have walked away from your Heavenly Father and/or from your earthly father, you have to make the decision to do the U turn. You may have sought after earthly pleasures and freedom that destroy your life here and in eternity. The Almighty GOD, Who is your Heavenly Father, is waiting for you. He is waiting with love in His heart and outstretched arms to forgive you and embrace you. That's where you belong!

Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.  Isaiah 55:7 


OH! THE LOVE THAT DREW SALVATION'S PLAN!
OH! THE GRACE THAT BROUGHT IT DOWN TO MAN!!
OH! THE MIGHTY GAP THAT GOD DID SPAN!
AT CALVARY!!

Ask, Seek, Knock!

'Ask' means, asking GOD. Praying to GOD. GOD hears our prayers. He answers prayer.

'Seek' means, search. Diligently search for the truth. The Bible is the word of GOD. The word of GOD is truth.

'Knock' means make your presence known to the one you are seeking. Persevere and wait in faith until He opens the door.

Therefore ASK includes A - ask, S - seek, K - knock!

Keep on ASKING.


     Keep on SEEKING.


          Keep on KNOCKING.


If you keep on asking JESUS, you will know Him AS KING JESUS!


If you keep on seeking JESUS, you will SEE KING JESUS!!


If you keep on knocking for JESUS, you will KNOW KING JESUS!!!


Matthew 7:7-11 (NKJV)
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 
 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?
 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

Hide & Seek

The first game that man played with GOD was ‘Hide & Seek’! It is still the first game we play with babies and it fascinates them. There is an advanced serious version of this game that people play with GOD! There are 3 stages to this game in real life.

The first stage:-  

We are hiding from GOD and GOD is seeking us.  We are hiding because of our sin which brings guilt, shame and fear of punishment.

Genesis 3:7-10 (NKJV)
Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
9 Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?"
10 So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself."

This hiding place is the devil’s territory. He has a foothold in our lives here and torments us with guilt, fear & shame. He imprisons us and oppresses us. We are unable to get out of this pit and there seems to be no hope. GOD appears to be an invisible, powerful, scary force waiting to get us the moment we show up, to bestow on us the due punishment.
What we are endeavoring to hide is our sin.

Are you in such a hiding place?

The first thing we need to know is that we cannot hide from GOD. Psalm 139 makes this clear.

Psalm 139:7-12 (NKJV)
Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me," Even the night shall be light about me;
12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

Secondly, GOD is waiting for us to show up so that He can forgive our sin and set us free from the oppression of the devil.

1 John 1:8-9 (NKJV)
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Thirdly, He wants us to come to Him because He loves us and desires to embrace us.

Jeremiah 31:3 (NKJV)
The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: "Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.

We have to take the first step and come out of our hiding place. We need to open ourselves to GOD like David the psalmist.

Psalm 139:23-24 (NKJV)
Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

Our sinful words and works may come to the open, but we can hide the motives of our minds and sinful attitudes of our hearts from others. We cannot hide anything from the eyes of the LORD, which are more powerful than the most sophisticated scanning machines!

Jeremiah 17:9-10 (NKJV)
"The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
10 I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.

2 Chronicles 16:9a (NKJV)
For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.

The second stage:-

We are seeking GOD. GOD seems to be hiding, but the Bible says that there is not even a  shadow of turning with Him. It is like the relationship between the sun and the earth. Darkness covers that part of the earth that turns away from the sun which is stationary and always at its best brightness.

James 1:17 (NKJV)
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

Isaiah 59:1-2 (NKJV)
Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear.
2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.

In the process of seeking GOD, we start changing, turning and moving to a place where we can find Him.

Are you seeking GOD? Continue to seek Him diligently and you will find Him.

Matthew 7:7-8 (NKJV)
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

Jeremiah 29:11-14 (NKJV)
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
14 I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.

It is our responsibility to seek GOD. It is GOD, Who, by the power of His love working through His Spirit draws us out of our hiding place and pit of oppression and sets us free from captivity! Then we will look at ourselves and understand the marvellous work of GOD in our lives!!

2 Corinthians 3:16-17 (NKJV)
Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

The third stage:-

When we find GOD through His Son JESUS, we desire to hide in Him. This is the best hiding place in this world and he who dwells in this place is most blessed! When we have experienced such a blessing, we become instruments in GOD’S hand to help others come out of their hiding places and seek GOD for themselves.

Following are some privileges & characteristics of a life hidden in CHRIST.

• Deliverance & Preservation

Psalm 32:1-7 (NKJV)
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3 When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long.
4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah
5 I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
6 For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You In a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters They shall not come near him.
7 You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. 

• Dwelling place & Protection

                         
Psalm 119:114 (NKJV)
You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word.
 
 Psalm 91:1-4 (NKJV)
He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust."
3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
     

• Comfort  

 
Isaiah 51:12-16 (NKJV)
"I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid Of a man who will die, And of the son of a man who will be made like grass?
13 And you forget the LORD your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens And laid the foundations of the earth; You have feared continually every day Because of the fury of the oppressor, When he has prepared to destroy. And where is the fury of the oppressor?
14 The captive exile hastens, that he may be loosed, That he should not die in the pit, And that his bread should not fail.
15 But I am the LORD your God, Who divided the sea whose waves roared-- The LORD of hosts is His name.
16 And I have put My words in your mouth; I have covered you with the shadow of My hand, That I may plant the heavens, Lay the foundations of the earth, And say to Zion, 'You are My people.' "
                                   

• Submission

      
Ruth 3:9 (NKJV)
And he said, "Who are you?" So she answered, "I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative."

•  Obedience & salvation

                   
Genesis 6:22-7:1 (NKJV)
Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.
1 Then the LORD said to Noah, "Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.
                                              

• Selfless CHRIST-centered life resulting in Glory

Exodus 33:21-23 (NKJV)
And the LORD said, "Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock.
22 So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by.
23 Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen."

Colossians 3:1-4 (NKJV)
1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
                    

•  Hope

Hebrews 6:19 (NKJV)
This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,

•  Peace

John 16:33 (NKJV)
These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

•  Rest

                
Hebrews 4:9-10 (NKJV)
There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.
10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
  

• Beauty

                    
1 Peter 3:3-4 (NKJV)
Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel--
4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.
 

• Fruitfulness

             
John 15:5 (NKJV)
I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
  

•  Unity

            
Matthew 23:37 (NKJV)
"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!
 
John 17:21 (NKJV)
that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.
    
                     Where are you right now?                                          
Are you hiding from GOD, filled with guilt, fear & shame, oppressed by the devil?
 Are you seeking GOD, confessing your sins to Him and repenting of them?
   Are you hiding in GOD, resting in the assurance of His love?

Luke 19:10 (NKJV)
for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

Deuteronomy 33:12 (NKJV)
Of Benjamin he said: "The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by Him, Who shelters him all the day long; And he shall dwell between His shoulders."

GOD sent His only Son, JESUS into this world to seek after you if you are lost. He is waiting to save you from your sin and set you free from the power and consequences of sin. He will freely forgive you because He took the penalty for your sin on Himself when He suffered and died on the cruel cross. He will wash you with His precious blood and embrace you with His love. There is a special slot for you to hide and rest in the bosom - the heart of your Heavenly Father.

Humbly come to Him now!
 He has been waiting for you to come!! 

Choices

At all times each day each of us face situations that force us to make choices.
There are times we can have this and that.
But very often it is either this or that.

GOD gives us choices and the responsibility to choose.
We need to be wise and diligent to make the right decisions.
Some choices are very hard to make as the one seems better than the other and
both are very difficult to give up.
We hold onto the one and reach out to the other one and at times, in the process,
let go and lose both!

You may be praying for a matter and are convinced that it is GOD’S will for you.
You are not able to receive it because you are holding onto something else which is a hindrance.

Although the blessing you are seeking is GOD’S will for you, you are in the wrong place, walking the wrong path and hence, unable to take it.
GOD’S blessings are strategically placed in the pathway of faithful obedience.
The LORD will not shift the blessing for good reasons. He always works for your good.
He knows that that blessing, if moved to where you are, will not work for your good!
The perfect way to enjoy that blessing is for you to move to where GOD has placed it.

GOD also knows which two gifts don’t go together.
For example, a job out of home for a woman is not suitable if she is desiring to have a child. Ps 113:9
If you are asking GOD to send down fire, you have to be willing to let go of wood, stubble and hay!

Fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil or fruit from the tree of life
Genesis 2:8-10 (NKJV)
8 The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.
9 And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
10 Now a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and became four riverheads.

Genesis 2:16-17 (NKJV)
16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;
17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

Genesis 3:1-6 (NKJV)
1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?"
2 And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden;
3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.' "
4 Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die.
5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

Genesis 3:22-24 (NKJV)
22 Then the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever"--
23 therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken.
24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

Revelation 2:4,7 (NKJV)
4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God." '

Revelation 22:1-3 (NKJV)
1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.

Serve The LORD or serve other gods

Joshua 24:14-24 (NKJV)
14 "Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD!
15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
16 So the people answered and said: "Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods;
17 for the LORD our God is He who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way that we went and among all the people through whom we passed.
18 And the LORD drove out from before us all the people, including the Amorites who dwelt in the land. We also will serve the LORD, for He is our God."
19 But Joshua said to the people, "You cannot serve the LORD, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins.
20 If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then He will turn and do you harm and consume you, after He has done you good."
21 And the people said to Joshua, "No, but we will serve the LORD!"
22 So Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD for yourselves, to serve Him." And they said, "We are witnesses!"
23 "Now therefore," he said, "put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to the LORD God of Israel."
24 And the people said to Joshua, "The LORD our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!"

Serve GOD or mammon

Matthew 6:24 (NKJV)
24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Sitting at the feet of JESUS or be distracted with much serving

Luke 10:38-42 (NKJV)
38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.
39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word.
40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me."
41 And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.
42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."

Obey GOD or disobey GOD

Deuteronomy 28:1-3 (NKJV)
1 "Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth.
2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God:
3 Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country.

Deuteronomy 28:15-16 (NKJV)
15 "But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:
16 Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the country.

Find my soul or lose my soul

Matthew 16:24-27 (NKJV)
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.

Trust in the LORD or trust in man

Jeremiah 17:5-8 (NKJV)
5 Thus says the LORD: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the LORD.
6 For he shall be like a shrub in the desert, And shall not see when good comes, But shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, In a salt land which is not inhabited.
7 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD.
8 For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.