January 12: Caught Like a Monkey
January 12
Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. - Matthew 6:21
There's an ancient parable, "The Monkey's Fist," that teaches a profound lesson. Native tribes would hollow out coconuts, fill them with bait, then tether them to trees to lure monkeys. When a monkey would reach into the small opening of a coconut, his hand would fit. But once his fist was full of the bait, the monkey couldn't get his hand out and free himself. The lesson for all of us is that the coconut was not the monkey's undoing, but rather his greedy unwillingness to let go of the bait.
I know a lot of people like that. They cluthc their material possessions so tightly in the attitude of their hearts that worry handicaps them, negatively impacting their fath, their family and friends, and their future. If only they would put God first, giving Him what belongs to Him - their time, talents, and treasures-then they could quit worrying about their future.
If you are grasping something tightly right now, youre in a trap and need to release your grip. There's not a better time to let go. Open your hands now. God has incredible gifts and resources for you-more than you could ever hold in your fists.
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[God] doesn't look at just what we give. He also looks at what we keep.* - Randy Alcorn
*Randy Alcorn, The Treasure Principle (Colorado Springs: Multnomah Books, 2001), 65.
