Hunting Monkeys

Hunting Monkeys

Natives in Africa place shiny objects in empty termite hills in full view of a tribe of monkeys, then move a little distance away and hide in the bush. It isn’t very long before a monkey will venture over to investigate. He will slip his hand into the narrow slit in the side of the termite hill and grab hold of the shiny object. As he tries to pull his hand out, his closed fist jams up against the side of the hole. His fist is too big to pass through the narrow opening as long as he hold onto the thing in his hand. The only way to remove his hand is to drop the prize he is clutching. He tries and tries, but he can’t get the object out.

Now the hunter calmly walks out of the bush, club in hand, and walks toward the monkey. The monkey begins to panic and starts trying to jerk his hand out, all the while clutching the little treasure he has a hold of. The hunter gets closer, the monkey panics, screeching and jumping and chattering and jerking, but all the while maintaining a firm grip on that shiny little trinket.

The little monkey dies, still clutching the thing he treasured more than his life. In death, his grip relaxes, the trinket falls to the ground and the hunter pulls his dinner free of the termite hill.

What are you holding onto that Jesus has told you to let go of? What are you claiming as your own that He has said, “This is mine”? What is it that is making you easy prey for the evil one and keeping you from the life and maybe even the eternity with Christ that He died to give you?