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I once read about an interesting method used by people in North Africa to catch monkeys. A hunter hollows out a gourd and makes a hole in its side just large enough for a monkey to insert his open hand. The gourd is then filled with nuts and tied to a tree.

The curious monkey is attracted by the smell of the nuts and reaches inside and grasps them. The hole in the gourd is too small, however, for the animal to withdraw his fist as long as it is tightly closed around the nuts. Because he refuses to release his prize, the unsuspecting monkey falls easy prey to his captor. Unwilling to relax his grasp, he actually traps himself!

Satan uses a similar method to ensnare us. He tempts us to grasp after more and more material possessions, which we think will bring us happiness and security. As long as we jealously hold on to them without expanding our thinking, we are enslaved. 

How relevant is the biblical warning, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world." (1 John 2:15). The apostle John also said that "And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." (v17).

Remember what happened to the monkey. Don't be fooled by the devil's bait!

Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Hebrews 12:11. References from Hebrews 12:4-13.

As Christians, we are in the midst of a great competition. We are running the race marked out for us (v1). Hebrews tells us that the trials we face provide the training that God ordains to make us holy people.

As we consider this passage today we ought to keep a few points in mind. First, the words chastening and exercise in this passage don't refer to bad things that happen to us because we have sinned. Instead, these words carry the sense of an athlete who disciplines or chastens their body as part of their training regimen. 

Jesus is our example here (v2-3). He suffered not because He was a sinner, but because He was a Son. Suffering marks God's work in our lives as Christians, for He disciplines or trains His own children (v7-10).

Second, we must see that this training has a goal. God disciplines us for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness (v10). Hebrews provides us with a Christian response to suffering. Suffering shouldn't drive us away from God. We should persevere and cling to Jesus, for we know that a reward is promised to us. Because of Jesus, we have a share in that eternal inheritance. We have been made perfect; through suffering (discomfort) we are being made holy (v10, 10:14).

Jesus knows our struggles. Look at His hands and feet! Yet, look also to the right hand of the throne of God. Jesus endured and so must we. Therefore, let us stick with the Lord!

Hebrews warns us against both a slow drift away from the church and sudden departure from Him. Sometimes when we bear the strain of suffering... whether physical, emotional, or relational... we may want to just toss in the towel on our faith.

It is worth remembering that the suffering of the world is much more than any suffering we might face in the church... the world disguises its pain behind alcohol, drugs, free love, etc. After all, that is why we came out of the world in the first place.