One of the oldest methods of catching monkeys is so simple you would seriously doubt its reliability although it really works. A hunter merely cuts a small hole in a gourd, ties it to a tree, then places a few seeds inside the gourd. Soon a monkey happens by, and overwhelmed by curiosity, reaches through the tiny hole to explore. Feeling the seeds, he scoops them up in his hand and tries to pull his fist out of the tiny hole. To his dismay, he finds that he cannot free himself. He stubbornly refuses to let go of his precious treasure and keeps his fist closed until the hunter returns and captures him.
Oh, how pitiful to witness the thousands of people trapped by Satan using the same method. Satan baits the trap with material possessions, success, popularity, physical pleasure, social acceptance, and numberless other “precious treasures” that are so important to us. Then we, like little monkeys, grab and grasp and make tight little fists around our treasures only to discover that we are trapped in an existence of worldliness. God says that we cannot serve both God and mammon (Mt. 6:24).
— Author Unknown
