Most of you have heard the story of how natives in Africa and Asia will drill a small hole in the top of the gourd, hollow it out, place some stones and sand to weigh the gourd down (or tie it to a tree), and then put a piece of fruit or some nuts inside to entice a monkey.

Once the monkey slides his hand in and grabs the prize, its fist is too big to come out. The monkey has two choices. Hang on to the prize and be stuck, or release the prize and regain its freedom. Surprisingly — or maybe not so surprisingly — the monkey hangs on and gets caught.

We shake our head at the short-sightedness of the monkey but how many of us are living with our “paw in the gourd.” We so want what Satan has placed their to entice us that we are willing to sacrifice the freedom that God grants us.

It can be the pursuit of fame and fortune or power and prestige. It might be time, a relationship, a hobby, or a desire. It might be a grudge or a hurt. The list could go on and on. Whatever we have in our hand that we don’t want to let go of when we clearly hear God saying, “Let go of it,” is our monkey trap.

There is a reason God is saying let it go. Whatever it is is keeping us captive in some form and not allowing us to experience the complete freedom God has in store.

Matthew 6:21 says, “ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

And sometimes where that treasure is can be a trap.

(Image courtesy of econlib.org)

We are all familiar with the biblical story of David and Goliath. Even those who have never read the Bible know it. How the boy David stood up to the taunting giant Goliath and against all human odds slew the man with one stone flung from his slingshot. 

The story is so well known that culturally we often talk about certain situations being a David and Goliath story, such as the sixteenth seed in a March Madness bracket defeating the number one seed. In fact, anything that seems overwhelming or unconquerable is referred to as our very own Goliath.

We all want to identify with David.  Taking down the Goliaths in our lives. But it is so easy to move from being a David to becoming a Goliath.

Instead of praising God for his deliverance, we become arrogant of our achievements.

Instead of relying on God’s power, we are confident in our own strength.

Instead of remembering God’s faithfulness, we begin to believe we don’t need Him—or, at the least, forget that we do.

If we slide into this mindset, then it won’t take much to bring us down. One small “stone” in a very vulnerable spot can make us crumple.

We have seen it before. Al Capone was caught on tax evasion. A lowly accountant brought down the notorious gangster. World leaders, famous athletes, renowned pastors have all had their secrets unveiled. But before we take comfort in thinking that only the famous and powerful are the ones to fall, the Bible doesn't distinguish between those in the public eye and those who are not. The only distinction is pride verses humility.

“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” James 4:6
When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom. Psalm 11:2

So go out and slay those giants — in prayer and with the confidence in the power of God—and then with a humble heart thank Him for the victory.

I have recently embarked on a remodel of my front yard. Since my purchase of the house, I have not done anything to the front yard. The previous owners had done a nice job of landscaping.


Then came the five years of drought, and the inefficiency of the sprinkler system as well as the water restrictions took its toll on the lawn—a lot of lawn since my home sits on a corner lot.


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So, I decided to let the lawn die out completely and then go drought tolerant.

First, I extended the patio to the central flower bed. Then, I wanted to put in artificial turf between the central and corner flowerbed and connecting the two sides of the patio Finally, I was going to have two large areas of drought tolerant plants. 

When it came time to put in the turf and plants, the ground had to be prepared and then the crucial step — the weed blocker—that barrier between dirt and air. Nothing can ruin both the turf and the flowerbeds faster than an infestation of weeds. And once they take root, it’s difficult to get rid of them.

The weed block was being laid at the same time I was watching Dr. David Jeremiah’s series about the armor of God, all of which save one are defensive and protective. The one that particularly stood out was the Shield of Faith, “with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”

All of God’s armor is our spiritual weed blocker as the belt, the breastplate, the sandals, and the helmet all protect vital organs and parts of the body needed to fight the battle. But the Shield of Faith extinguishes all of Satan’s attacks. Satan will spew lies, make sin look enticing, and sow discord, which is why we need protection with truth, righteousness, and peace, but he almost always begins, just as he did with Eve, by planting the weed of doubt. 

So grab hold of your shield of faith—your remembrance of God’s protection and your belief that He can and will do it again—and live a victorious life.

I unexpectedly had to be away from home for an extended period of time. When I returned, I started in on my home projects, one of which was to have the circulating pump on my water heater replaced.

The plumber came, replaced the pump, then headed to the back bathroom to check the t-joint. He stopped on his way there and stared into my backyard.

“You have chickens?” he asked.


“No,” I responded.
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He leaned a little to his left, tilted his head, and took a closer look.

“Well, you have a chicken,” he said matter-of-factly.

“WHAT?!” I said jumping up from the chair and hustling over to my slider to look. Sure enough, there was a chicken, happy as can be, pecking through the bark out by my trees.

The plumber just smiled. I just thought.

I didn’t want a chicken.

Later that night I was on the couch reading, but my mind kept returning to the problem of the chicken, when I heard some scratching above me. I tilted my head and listened, then stood up under the heating vent. Nope. Then the scratching again. I moved to the corner of the room and turned my ear toward the ceiling. Scratching and scurrying. 

A mouse! Or a rat! Ugh!

The next day I was on the phone to my pest control service. My serviceman came out and traps were set for each. I asked him why now, after all these years, and he said (and I paraphrase) critters know when a house is empty and in they move.

Another object lesson. Voids need to be filled.

In nature, something always moves into empty space. I’m afraid I am not at all “fluent” in the sciences, but from what I have gleaned from reading, it is still being debated as to whether even black holes are empty.

The same runs true in our lives. Our lives, hearts, and minds must contain something, so what will that be? The desire to belong, to be needed, to have friendship will drive some to gangs if healthier options don’t seem available. If we don’t fill our hearts with forgiveness and love, then grudges and hatred will take root. If we don’t think on “these things”—“whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy” (Philippians 4:8), then we allow falsehood, and degradation, and every opposite of those virtues to move in.

However, according to Blaise Pascal, there is one void that can only be filled one way or will forever remain empty. 

He said, “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.”

Similarly, what would the world look like if Jesus had not been born? What would have filled that void?

If you are interested in one answer, I would encourage you to click on the link below. I think you will find it fascinating.