Let go... give it all to Jesus...

I heard a story about a monkey.  This monkey had become a problem to the farmer and was stealing the farmer's goods.  The farmer decided to set a trap and catch the monkey.  He placed a jar (with a narrow opening) containing peanuts in a place where the monkey would find it.  The monkey came along and slipped his hand into the jar and grabbed a handful of peanuts.  With his hand full of peanuts he was no longer able to remove his hand from the jar and could not run away with this jar on his hand. The monkey would not let go of the peanuts.  The farmer caught the monkey.

• This is how we are in life.  We hold onto the past and the good things we have known and experienced and we cannot let go.
• This in turn holds us back and does not allow us to step into the "NEW" that God has for us.
• This is a trap in life
• We need to get to the point where we say: "God, You have brought me this far and I can confidently face the future and know that You will be with me!"
• ISAIAH 43:18 FORGET THE FORMER THINGS; DO NOT DWELL ON THE PAST.
• There are no guarantees in life and the past is no guarantee for the future
• We need to have the courage to let go and trust God believing that He has something new.

Prayer:  Dear Lord, help us to recognize the new things you want to do, and make us alert and bold to be able to take hold of them!! Amen.