Little Monkeys

I have heard it said that in the countries of Southeast Asia and the Pacific Island nations that a certain species of small monkey is a delicacy and sold for food to resturants in those countries. The interesting thing however is not the fact that these monkeys are actually eaten by people, it is how the people who capture these little monkeys trap them. It is simple, much easier than you could imagine. The hunters take a hollowed out gourd, tie it to a tree, cut out a small hole in the side of it, just big enough for the little monkey to slide their hand into and fill the gourd with berries and nuts. That is it. You see, when the little monkey happens upon these goodie filled gourds, they reach in and grab a hand full of the delicious treats. The trick is that the little monkey cannot pull it's hand out while it is holding onto few berries and nuts inside. This little monkey is just stubborn enough that it just will not let go. You can figure out the rest of the story. The little monkey gives up its freedom and eventually it's life for a few berries and some nuts.

It occurred to me that there are a lot of Christians out there who are just like these little monkeys. They have stuck their hand into the gourd of sin for the pleasures of a few berries and nuts and they will not let go. They are in our churches. They are our neighbors. They might even be us. They are holding onto that secret sin and will not let go. They are just waiting for the hunter, Satan, to come and collect them as they go about their life.

They are different than the little monkeys, they have someone they can turn to, they have a savior waiting to come to their rescue. All they have to do is to ask. It is not the will of God for it to be this way. He provided us a way out. He provided us Jesus. When we really repent we will turn away from those secret sins and will never go back to them. God is looking for the repentant heart.

Psalms 24:3 ask, "Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in His holy place?" Verse 4 answers, "He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false." In other words, we have to be totally repentant and to completely turn away from our old life and live for Him completely. We have to let go of those pleasures in the berries and nuts and take our hand out of the gourd of sin. When we do that, verse 5 promises us that "He will recieve blessing from the Lord and vendication from God, his Savior."

I believe that we are on the cusp of prehaps the greatest outpouring of the Holy Spirit that America has ever seen. To recieve that blessing promised in verse 5 we have to be found pure and clean as verse 4 says. We need to turn away from our sins and turn completely to God. He wants to pour out blessings on us but can't if we are found stained with sin.

I want to be found worthy of His blessings. I want to be part of the Great Outpouring that is on the way. Today, examine yourself and if you find anything there that is unpleasing to God, let go of it. Turn it over to Jesus and let Him create in you a pure heart and clean hands.  This is the only way that we can effectively go about and tell someone about Jesus.