A little boy walked slowly into the room where his mother was sitting at her desk writing.
She glanced down at him and saw that he was carrying a very precious vase that her grandmother had given her. Almost absentmindedly she said to him, “Robert, go put the vase down before you drop it and break it.”
“I can’t,” he replied, “I can’t get my hand out!’
“Of course you can,” she said, “you got it down there.”
He said, “I know, mom, but it won’t come out.” He tugged and jerked but his hand wouldn’t budge.
The neck of the vase was very narrow and his hand had fit neatly inside, and it was now up to his wrist. He continued to insist that he could not get it out. Growing a little concerned, his mother called out to his dad.
Dad calmly took control and began gently pulling the arm trying to extract the hand from the vase. He tried loosening it up with soapy water. Still nothing. He then got some vegetable oil from the kitchen and poured it around the wrist and let it seep into the vase. He wiggled it some. It still did not budge.
“I give up,” the dad said in desperation. “I’d give a dollar right now to know how to get it out.”
“Really?” little Robert exclaimed. Then they heard a clinking sound and his hand slid right out of the vase.
They turned the vase upside down and a penny plopped out. “What’s this?” they said in unison.
“Oh, that’s the penny I put inside. I wanted to get it out so I was clutching it in my hand. But when I heard Dad say he would give a dollar to get my hand out, I let go.” In childish ignorance, he had not wanted to let the penny go to free his hand.
- Anonymous
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How often do we cling to things when they are nothing in comparison to what could be ours?
Many aspects of our world are appealing and draw us in. The problem is that some try to live a life dedicated to God and still have a life of sin at the same time. Like the boy clutching the penny, we simply cannot live a righteous life for God until we let go of our sinful desires.
Christ put it simply, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.” (Matthew 6:24).
The lesson to be learned is clear and simple…each of us must choose whether we are going to dedicate our lives to God and serve Him and Him only…or give in and cling as well to sin and selfishness.
If we choose to dedicate ourselves to the Lord, the glory and riches will be well beyond what any of us can comprehend. If one chooses to live for him or herself and give in to sin and selfishness, the reward will be equivalent to a shiny penny.
No one can have it both ways…a choice must be made.
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But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve…But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15 NLT
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 NLT
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If you have a story or testimony that you think might bless others,
I invite you to send it by email to me (Kenneth Kersey) at godsotherways@me.com.
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