Deuteronomy 4:29
Seek God with Your Heart
29 But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Luke 18:9-14
The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector
9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Matthew 5:1-12
The Sermon on the Mount
1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.
The Beatitudes
He said:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:40-48
Give Your Neighbor Your Cloak
40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Love for Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matthew 6:24
We Cannot Serve Both God and Money
24 No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Matthew 20:28
Jesus Came to Serve
28 Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
We are to seek God with all of our heart and all of our soul...And He is out there you know, because one day, a time ago, He sent us His Son to help us find Him...And in doing so, He humbled Himself and made Himself known to us...And as I seek Him and look for Him, I often think I am looking in the wrong places...Where might I seek Him, and where might I find Him?...When we look for Him among the exalted, the proud, the celebrity, the famous -we find that He is hard to find...He seems to be among those who have humbled themselves, their hearts, and their lives...
A quiet, modest, unassuming, forgiving, poor, and humble Man with a humble heart, is His Son...And I might add to the adjective humble that He is very, very humble...He said He came to serve...And He was poor and really never talked to much about any money He had...He tells us we cannot serve both God and money...He is always unselfish, and would give another His own cloak if they needed it...He was always giving to those who ask of Him...And He would not turn down anyone who needed something from Him, or wanted to borrow something from Him...Never seeking attention, yet always seeming to get attention and be the center of attention...He taught in an unassuming way, but became famous because He was the One who was to come...He became famous on not only how He taught and teaches us, but also what He taught and teaches us...
He blesses those who are poor in spirit, He blesses those who are mourning, He blesses those who are meek...He blesses those who are hungry...He blesses those who search for righteousness, and who are persecuted because of righteousness...He blesses those who show mercy on others...He blesses those who are pure in heart...He blesses those who search for peace and ways to find peace...He blesses those who are insulted because of Him, and says they will be rewarded in heaven...
Always helping the underprivileged, needy, the poor, the unhealthy, the outcast, and those who needed Him or needed something is something I don't seek out a lot, if at all...But He certainly did...And somehow by doing these things and never wanting attention -it brought and drew attention to Him...He taught in these paradoxical ways, and became famous in a paradoxical way...He came to earth to live and die for us on a cross -for our sins...And in this paradox, He became worldly by dying not for Himself, but for us...