Temptation

Temptation a trap that causes us to disobey God.

Once upon a time, deep in the forest, there lived a group of monkeys. These monkeys live a very happy and carefree life in the jungle. There was plenty of food, and all they do whole day were eating, sleeping and playing. Oh…I forgot…they also go to monkey school. At school, they were taught by a wise old monkey named Rafiki who tells them…."To be a good monkey, one must always know…that what looks good….may bring you harm."

One day, as they were playing by a stream, they heard one of the monkeys screaming excitedly…”Come over here guys, I found something so interesting! Quick! Quick!”

All the monkeys ran to see what it was. And they saw, standing there is their monkey friend….Curios George. He was grinning from ear to ear and pointing to a ….coconut!!

“See what I found!”

All the monkeys scratched their heads. “Errr…Curios George…you haven’t seen a coconut before?”

“No…no…look inside the coconut. Look in….look, peer through that hole on the coconut”

All the monkeys took turns one by one, peered into the hole and ( gasp…) you know what they saw in the hole?

The most delicious looking banana…it was yellowish greenish, juicy moisty, and most nice smelling banana they have ever seen…..

All of them started drooling…yummy, we want to eat that banana…

Curios George, who was also very greedy said…”Wait..I found it so I am going to take it out from the coconut and I will decide what to do with this banana.

So, he put his paws into the coconut, got his fingers around the banana and slowly started pulling his paws out. But…oopss…he couldn’t pull anymore..his paws were stuck!

His tried twisting his paws, he tried pulling it harder, he tried turning his paws from another angle…and he even got some of his friends to help by pulling his arm…but he just couldn’t get his paws out.

Suddenly, they heard some rustling of the trees and some plodding of footsteps…

“Yikes! One of the monkeys said….”I think it is a hunter coming…”

“Quick…run, run away…

Curios George didn’t know what to do! He tried to run with his paws stuck in the coconut but then he realized the coconut was actually tied to a huge tree!

“Let go, Curios George…Let go of the banana and you will be able to get your paws out”

Curious George wailed….But I want my banana…I want to eat it…

The monkeys shouted…”Don’t be so stupid! Do you want to be alive or dead? Remember what Rafiki said…what looks good, may bring you harm!!!

Curios George realized his foolishness and let go of the banana. His paws quickly became free and they all ran helter skelter for away from the approaching hunter.

Curios George learnt his lesson that day.

There are times we are like Curious George. We see something and we like it so much….but that thing may actually be a trap…a trap that causes us to disobey God. If we are like Curios George and continue to insist to hold on to that thing, we have fallen into the trap and caused us to disobey God. But of we let go and run away from it, then we will be safe….